ver the past few years,
much has been written and
said about how golf clubs
are struggling to attract and retain
players, and how golf in general is
facing an uphill battle against other
sports that are quicker, cheaper and
easier.
Golf clubs are closing/
amalgamating, waiting lists are
disappearing, joining fees are
dwindling and membership numbers
are stagnant or shrinking. Indeed, the
common sentiment among golfers
and the wider industry is that golf is
fighting for its life.
But I’ll let you in on a little secret:
it may actually be doing a lot better
than we all assume.
Case in point is Melbourne’s Yarra
Bend Golf Course. If you haven’t been
there lately, do yourself a favour and
check it out. It will open your eyes.
It is a shining example of just how
strong and popular our game still is.
And it also stands as a benchmark for
how a course/facility can succeed by
adapting and changing in an attempt
to better cater to a target market.

facility; installing a massive state-ofthe-art driving range, 36-hole minigolf course, revamped pro-shop and
an upgrade/re-routing of the main
golf course itself.
I hadn’t been to the facility in
a while, so on a recent Saturday
morning, I did my “civic duty” to the
game and took my two 13-year-old
boys to Yarra Bend for a hit at the
range and a round of mini-golf.
Upon arrival at the new facility, I was
astounded at just how busy the place
was. Every bay at the practice range
was full, with many players queuing
for a bay. On the nearby practice
green, there was a clinic in progress
with a huge group of juniors enjoying
the fun and frivolity of the game, and
both of the mini-golf courses were
buzzing with excitement.
The atmosphere around the place
was unlike anything I’d experienced
at a golf course in recent times. It had
the excitement, energy and buzz of
a theme park. And it made me quite
energized and optimistic about the
future of golf.
Indeed, Yarra Bend absolutely
“nailed it” in terms of making the
facility into a family-friendly (or even
just golfer-friendly) environment.
And this isn’t just an isolated
example. At many public access

For those of you who weren’t
aware, Yarra Bend has undergone
a bit of a transformation over the
last few years. It was already one of
Melbourne’s most popular Public
Access courses, but in order to keep
with the times, they embarked on
an ambitious plan to upgrade the

IN THIS ISSUE:

8
11
14
22
24
30
31
33
48

NEWS
IG BUSINESS
GENERAL MANAGERS
COVER STORY
ON TOUR
AMATEURS
JUNIORS
clubs
gear

courses around the country, the
game appears to be as popular as
ever. And this sentiment is echoed
in the U.S. where the innovative
Topgolf driving ranges are all the
rage. Topgolf take driving ranges to
the extreme; giving players a sort of
high-tech dartboard-type game for
golf, combined with the atmosphere
of your local pub.
So golf isn’t dying. It’s just that
today’s golfers (let’s call them
“consumers”) are simply choosing
to “consume” the game differently
than before (i.e. via public facilities
instead of private clubs). And for all
the private clubs out there (as well as
the various golf-related businesses),
it is thus critical to find a way to
give these consumers what they are
“craving”.
See you on the fairways

Winner of multiple Australian Golf Media
Awards -- including “Best Column” for
his monthly Starters Box –Group
Editor Richard Fellner is a member of
the Australian Golf Writers Association
and the Golf Society of Australia, and he
is a regular guest on many Australian
“sports talk” radio shows.

Get the latest issue of Inside Golf delivered
directly to your inbox. Simply visit
www.insidegolf.com.au and subscribe
to our Insider e-Newsletter. You’ll also be
entered into our monthly competitions,
and get any special announcements or
news directly from Inside Golf!

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news
Jordan goes
wire-to-wire in PNG
Even a final-hole disaster could not
prevent Damien Jordan from an
emphatic wire-to-wire victory at the
2016 Morobe Open, held in Papua New
Guinea last month.
Jordan withheld the early challengers
over the opening nine, holding a fourshot lead heading to the 18th hole. A
double-bogey 7 on the last proved to be
only a minor setback, with his final round
70 good enough for a 17-under-par total
and a two-shot win over Simon Houston.

“The week for me has really come
down to the putter. Being able to make
clutch putts in each of my rounds when
it mattered most was certainly the
difference, especially over the opening
nine holes today. It’s great to get the win
under my belt and really can’t wait to get
to Moresby next week to try and take the
double.”

“Damien played great all week and
unfortunately for the field, it wasn’t until
his final hole that he made a mistake,”
said Houston.
The Sunshine Swing forms part of the
Choice Hotels PGA Pro-Am Series which
comprises 200 events Australia wide.
Played across more than 170 golf
courses around Australia the Choice
Hotels PGA Pro-Am Series plays an
important part in the development of
Australia’s Professional Golfers whilst
also growing the game at a grass roots
level by engaging an estimated 48,000
amateur golfers each year.

Total time
44:57
Total time
47:44
Total time
1:29:12

AMATEUR RELAY TEAM MEMBERS

“It is a real honour to win here in
Lae, as this tournament not only has a
big impact for the Lae Golf Club and
community, but the greater nation of
Papua New Guinea.” said Jordan.

Jordan was challenged early by Josh
Cabban and Simon Houston, though
unfortunately their challenge was
short lived, as Jordan remained steady
throughout the day’s final round.

Total time
43:07
Total time
47:20
Total time
55:24

The new Golf Skate Caddy “World Record” holders are all smiles at Ringwood Golf Course.

I

t was an exciting morning at Melbourne’s
Ringwood Golf Course on Monday 11
April, as an enthusiastic group of golfers
gathered to set a number of world records
for the fastest rounds of golf played on a
Golf Skate Caddy – a feat never attempted
previously.

36 men and women also took part in
setting the male and female relay records,
with 18 participants in each team taking
turns to play a single hole on the Golf Skate
Caddy, then “tagging” the next player on the
following tee, who would then hit their shot
before hopping aboard the Golf Skate Caddy.

Professional golfer Graham Maher set the
overall fastest time of the day, completing
the full 18 holes of golf in just over 43
minutes. Not far behind him was professional
golfer Michelle Scerri, finishing the course in
just under 45 minutes.

The day was capped off with members of
the community and local golf clubs trying
the Golf Skate Caddies as part of a free ride
trial.

A pair of amateur golfers followed closely
behind, with Darren Browning finishing the
18 holes in 47 minutes 20 seconds, while Mei
Lee completed the challenge in 47 minutes
and 44 seconds.

Lakelands Golf Club

The Golf Skate Caddy, a combination of a
single-person golf cart and surfboard, gives
players a unique experience of “surfing the
golf course” - gliding down the fairways,
directing via a central controller. Golfers of all
ages and abilities can use it, and it provides
those with limited time the opportunity to

still enjoy a sport they love.
It also provides, as shown by the world
record times above, a potential solution to
golf’s current problem of slow play.
Ringwood Golf is the first golf course in
Victoria to offer the Golf Skate Caddy for
hire (9 Holes, $15 and 18 Holes, $25) but it is
also available at a number of courses across
Australia.
To find out more about the Golf Skate
Caddy, visit www.golfskatecaddy.com.au.
For more information about Ringwood Golf,
visit www.maroondahlesiure.com.au or call
on 03 9298 4500.

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news
Scott to skip Olympics
Adam Scott confirmed last month that he will
not play in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil.
The world No.7 said that scheduling and
family commitments will prevent him from
participating in the games as golf returns to
the Olympics for the first time since 1904.
“My decision has been taken as a result of an
extremely busy playing schedule around the
time of the Olympics and other commitments,
both personal and professional,” Scott said in a
statement.
“I have informed the Australian team captain
(Ian Baker-Finch) and relevant authorities, who
are understanding of my position and I wish
the Australian Olympic team the very best of
luck in Rio.”
Scott has long been critical of participating
in the Olympic Games, and last year admitted
that the prospect of him appearing was
unlikely.
“It’s not really a priority of my scheduling next
year which is based around the majors,” Scott
said in November.
Golf Australia chief executive Stephen Pitt
said the early decision would enable another
contender to take his place.
“We’re obviously disappointed Adam will
not play because he’s one of the best players
in the world, but we understand his position,”
Pitt said.
“This means one of our other elite players will
get the chance and we’re more than happy that
we will field a very strong team in Rio.
As of press time, Marc Leishman was the
highest-placed Australian in the “reserves” list,
with Marcus Fraser, Matt Jones, Scott Hend
and Steven Bowditch the remaining alternates.
Sixty golfers will play in the men’s competition;
with the top 15 players in the world all eligible,
and a maximum of four players in the field
from any country.

Lee’s final round followed opening rounds
of 68, 66 and 74. A chat with long-time
coach Ritchie Smith after the disappointing
third round proved enough to give her the
boost she needed for victory in the final
round.

“This win is definitely a big confidence
boost; the last few weeks I was there, but
not quite there in the end. Now my game
seems to be coming together really well,”
Lee said.

est Australia’s Minjee Lee shot
a career-best, bogey-free round
of 8-under-par 64 to win the
2016 LOTTE Championship Presented by
HERSHEY in Hawaii last month. The win
was Lee’s second LPGA career victory, her
first win coming at the 2015 Kingsmill
Championship Presented by JTBC.

With the win, Lee took home a
US$270,000 first-place cheque, helping
her cross the US$1 million mark in career
earnings with $1,237,560 as a member of
the LPGA Tour.
Lee also becomes only the the fifth player
to win twice before her 20th birthday,

For Lee there is much to look forward
to in 2016; there are still four major
Championships to compete in, plus the
International Crown and the Olympic
Games in Rio.

Sarah Jane Smith was the next best of
the ALPG contingent, finishing at -3 in 39th
place. Su Oh finished at even par in 47th
place, Sarah Kemp finished +2 in 59th place
while Katherine Kirk shot a 5-under-par 67
to finish at +3 in 62nd place.
More: www.lpgascoring.com

NSW Open Regional
Qualifying venues announced
Eleven venues across New South Wales will
host eight Regional Qualifying Tournaments
for the 2016 NSW Open Golf Championship.
In addition, the inaugural 36 hole Sand/
Grass Greens State Championship will be
played at Forbes and Grenfell Golf Courses on
20-21 August 2016.
The Regional Qualifying Tournaments
provide an ideal opportunity for any interstate
or New South Wales-based golfer to win
their way into the 2016 NSW Open Golf
Championship, which will be held again later
this year at Stonecutters Ridge Golf Course in
Greater Western Sydney.
The venues that will host 2016 NSW Open
Regional Qualifying Tournaments are:
Camden GC, Forbes GC (8-9 October), Grafton
GC and Yamba GC, Griffith GC, Gunnedah GC
(27-28 August), Howlong GC and Thurgoona
GC (18-19 June), Moree GC, Wauchope GC and
Kew GC (8-9 October).
“Golf NSW is thrilled to see regional areas
benefit from hosting Golf NSW events like a
NSW Open Qualifying Tournament. Not only
does it generate local interest in the sport, but
it provides an opportunity for the host regions
to showcase their golf courses to many of
New South Wales finest amateur golfers,”
Chairman of Golf NSW, John Robinson said.
Regional NSW has produced some of the
nation’s finest golf talent and a Qualifying
Series like this is an ideal pathway for any
aspiring country golfer to play his way into
the State’s premier Golf Championship.
“Not only does regional NSW boast some of
the State’s best golf courses, but many of the
State’s finest golfers have been produced in
country areas,” added Mr Graeme Phillipson,
GM – Golf, Golf NSW.
www.nswopen.com

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www.insidegolf.com.au | May 2016

9

news

Day gives back to junior golf

W

orld No.1 Jason Day has
put his name to Australia’s
national junior golf program,
MyGolf, with the 2015 US PGA
Championship winner announced last
month as its official ambassador.
The nine-time US PGA Tour winner
will be the face of MyGolf, boosting
the growth of junior golf around
Australia.
“I’m honoured to be the ambassador
for the MyGolf program. Kids are
the future of our sport and if my
involvement can assist to bring more
juniors into our game then I’m stoked
to be involved,” Day said.

“It’s great to see Golf Australia
and the PGA working together and
investing in an initiative that provides
a really clear entry point for junior
golfers across Australia; I can’t wait to
meet some of our MyGolfers when I’m
back home.”
Golf Australia CEO Stephen Pitt said Day’s
involvement would be a great spur for the
program.
“Having Jason as the face of MyGolf gives
the program even more validity in the golf
industry and, importantly, for the kids who
look up to him,” Pitt said.
“I’m sure he will inspire a new generation to
pick up a golf club and be a part of this great
initiative.”
Day will feature in exclusive digital content
promoting the program and play a key role
in promoting MyGolf during the Australian
summer of golf.
PGA of Australia CEO Brian Thorburn

praised Day’s commitment to Australian golf
at the grass-roots level.

across 450 centres nationwide during
2015/16 alone.

“We’re thrilled Jason has put his hand up
to support MyGolf. His input will provide
inspiration to junior golfers Australia-wide
and to donate his time in supporting the
program is a testament to the professional
that he is,” Thorburn said.

Junior participation is vital to the future
growth of golf and the PGA and Golf
Australia have collectively spent considerable
time investing in a national junior brand that
will have a positive impact on participation,
create a new legacy for the game and
assist the development of Australia’s next
generation of golfers.

“There is no greater priority for the PGA and
Golf Australia than growing the game and
seeing the positive results as juniors tee it up.”
Jointly run by Golf Australia and the PGA of
Australia, MyGolf has enjoyed considerable
success since its relaunch in July 2014, with
more than 4,700 participants registered

The MyGolf Program is Australia’s national
junior program aimed at juniors 5-12 years
of age.
Visit www.mygolf.org.au for more
information.

Aussie Masters
on hold
Australia’s ‘Big 3’ Summer of Golf
tournaments will be reduced to just two
this year, with news that the Australian
Masters will not be held in 2016.
In a media statement released recently
by David Rollo, Vice President-Director
of Golf, IMG Australia and New Zealand,
the Australian Masters was slated to be
“reimagined”, with more details to follow
at a later date.
“As part of IMG’s ongoing evolution of
its golf events business, the company
is in the process of reimagining its
Australian Masters event to ensure the
delivery of a world-class experience,”
Rollo stated. “To best execute a change
of this scale, the Australian Masters will
not be played in 2016. IMG will unveil its
new plans for the event in the coming
months.”
The loss of the Australian Masters in
Melbourne represents a major blow
for golf in Victoria, which for the time
being finds itself without an Australian
major golf tournament. Both the
Australian Open and the Australian PGA
Championship have been locked-in to
Sydney and the Gold Coast, respectively,
on long-term contracts.
Melbourne golf fans will take solace
in the fact that this summer’s World
Cup of Golf will be held in Melbourne
at Kingston Heath Golf Club, 21-27
November, with The Presidents Cup also
returning to Victoria in 2019. In addition,
the innovative and popular Oates Vic
Open is growing in stature, and for the
time being represents the highest-profile
professional golf event in the state.

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IG BUSINESS

Night of nights for
Victorian golf industry

T

he Victorian Golf Industry
came together at Huntingdale
Golf Club for the recent 2016
Victorian Golf Industry Awards
Dinner to honour and celebrate
those champions and contributors
from the past year, and honour eight
new members into the prestigious
Victorian Golf Hall of Fame.
A highlight of the evening was
the induction of the following eight
new members into the Victorian Golf
Hall of Fame: M.A. (Mick) Morcom
(1976-1937), Alex Russell (1892-1961),
William (Billy) Meader (1869-1940),
Don Lawrence (1925-1994), Sloan
Morpeth (1897-1973), Tony Charlton
AM (1929-2012), Sandra McCaw and
Eric Routley
The 2015 Victorian PGA Trainee of
the Year was Hayden Webb from the
Settlers Run Golf Club.
Golf Victoria COO David Greenhill
was honoured for his 25 years of
service. Emcee for the evening
Michael Roberts acknowledged
all of those volunteers make the
industry tick across the state: Chris
Collingwood from Keysborough GC
won the Melbourne Metropolitan
Area Individual Male award, and Len
Prior from the Bendigo Golf Club won
the Country Victoria/Victorian Golf
League Individual Male category.
Helen Brown from Latrobe Golf Club
was honoured in the Melbourne
Metropolitan Area Individual Female
category, and Nancy Parry from
Foster GC was voted as the Country
Victoria/Victorian Golf League

Individual Female Volunteer of the
Year. The final award went to the
Lonsdale Golf Club Development
Task Force whose efforts in driving
the future sustainability of the club
were championed as the Volunteer
Group of the Year.
The Flinders Partners Group
National Pro-Am took out Metro
Pro-Am of the Year honours, the Big
Garage Subaru Bairnsdale Pro-Am
was rated the best Regional Pro-Am
of the year, the Peter Stickley Vendor
Advocacy Eagle Ridge Legends ProAm was voted the best of the Victorian
E-Z-GO Legends Pro-Ams, and the
Harvey Norman Neangar Park
Trainee Pro-Am took out top honours
in the Trainee Pro-Am category.
Victoria’s leading amateur players
were recognised, with Jo Charlton of
the Metropolitan Golf Club announced
as Victorian Female Amateur for 2015.
Having had her grandfather inducted

into the Hall of Fame earlier in the
night made it a real family affair for the
Charlton family.
Victoria Golf Club’s Ryan Ruffels’
accomplishments including winning
the Australian Junior Championship,
and finishing as the best placed
amateur at both the Emirates
Australian Open and Oates Vic Open
saw Ryan announced as the leading
amateur male for 2015.
The Bruce Green PGA Club
Professional of the Year was Scott
Barradell from the Eastern Golf Club
and PGA Teaching Professional of the
Year was Matt Cleverdon from the
Kingston Heath Golf Club.
Both of these winners will now go on
to represent Victoria in the National
Club and Teaching Professional
awards, to be decided and presented
at the Greg Norman Medal Dinner at
the RACV Royal Pines Resort prior to
the Australian PGA Championship. •

Sunshine Coast named destination partner of the Holden Scramble

The Holden Scramble
Championship Final will continue
to call the Sunshine Coast home
after the Sunshine Coast Council
extended their relationship with
the PGA of Australia as the major
destination partner of Australia’s
most loved pro-amateur teams
event.
Brian Thorburn, Chief Executive
Officer for the PGA said he is
pleased to see the Sunshine Coast
Council continue its commitment to
golf in the Sunshine State and the
continued relationship between the
two organisations.
“The PGA is delighted to see our
relationship with the Sunshine
Coast Council continue; their
support of the Holden Scramble
as the host region of the
Championship Final has been a
contributing factor in the event’s
success over the years. The PGA and
the Sunshine Coast Council have an
extensive history working together
on a number of large scale events
and we look forward to seeing this
affiliation continue.”

In a new agreement between
the two organisations, the Holden
Scramble Championship Final will
remain at Twin Waters Golf Club for a
further three years, while qualifiers will
be able to enjoy the hospitality of the
Novotel Twin Waters Resort, the event
accommodation provider.

“This partnership also allows us to
continue our long-standing support
of tournament golf in the region.”

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark
Jamieson said the Council was pleased
to continue its lengthy association
with the PGA through its sponsorship
of the Holden Scramble, which
stretches back to 1995.

The Championship Final features
four days of golf, social activities
and the opportunity to play with
a current PGA Tour of Australasia
Professional in the final round.

“We are thrilled to be able to
continue our sponsorship of
Australia’s largest pro-amateur golf
championship and look forward to
hosting local events, regional finals
and the Championship Final in
November,” Mayor Jamieson said.
“The opportunity to be involved
in an annual teams golf event with
very high levels of participation is a
fantastic marketing and promotional
platform through which we can profile
our region to a national audience of
37,000 participants.

Twin Waters Golf Club and Novotel
Twin Waters Resort have become
synonymous with the Holden
Scramble, giving teams a huge
incentive to participate.

The Holden Scramble is an
exciting teams Ambrose format that
is celebrating its 25th year in 2016,
and will host over 460 events across
the country from 1 March to 30
September.
Winners from local events
progress to a Regional Final where
they are teamed up with their
PGA Club Professional, vying for
the chance to progress to the
Championship Final, which will be
held from 25 – 28 November.
More: www.holdenscramble.
com.au •
www.insidegolf.com.au | May 2016

11

IG BUSINESS

How golf cart paths can increase
your club’s membership returns
W

ith more members utilising golf
carts in courses across Australia
and New Zealand, cart paths
become an increasingly necessary part
of course design, which can also provide
revenue streams not otherwise available.

like any good investment it should also
provide a good return for money.
The success of the path and its integration
into overall design will require a number of
considerations including the type of golf
course, its length, the climate, the turf, the
terrain and the number of golf cart rounds all
to be considered.

Cart paths provide a number of benefits
to a course or club. They ensure members
can play throughout the year, regardless
of weather. They speed up play and allow
members to reach all areas of the course
without damage to turf. They also direct
golfers onto a surface designed for volume
traffic, helping to move traffic away from
playing areas and reduce maintenance
costs.

Questions such as “should the course
have a continuous cart path system or
does it only need to go from tee to fairway
and then green to the next tee?” should
also be considered. All will depend on the
soil profiles, traffic numbers and of course
budgetary constraints.
Engaging with experts is necessary to ensure
the best results for members, and the full
range of benefits are realised across the club.

In addition, cart paths reduce wear and
tear on golf carts by restricting access to the
paths; mitigate potential damage to carts
by providing a designated path system free
of potentially hazardous areas, and improve
the player’s overall experience. Through the
advances of technology and GPS systems,
Cart access can be controlled and restricted
to certain areas of the course while in some
cases on-course food and beverage can
be arranged during the round through the
integrated control unit of the cart.
These benefits can help golf clubs
achieve significant ongoing cost savings
in maintenance and repairs, but perhaps
more importantly can help improve the
playing experience and club reputation, and
increase revenue levels of the club.

The design of the golf cart path can have
an enormous impact on the playability and
aesthetics of a course. The design will vary
greatly and can be influenced through a
number of factors including the current
or proposed course design and expected

player numbers; the number of players and
competition rounds per year; the opinions
and feelings of members towards golf carts
and the funding available.
Golf cart path installation can be a
significant investment for many clubs, but

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golf cart path system to their course, with
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IG BUSINESS – general managers

Scot Charlie McGill GM of the year
David Newbery
david@insidegolf.com.au

duty to keep the members informed. I had
everything at my fingertips and because I
was a member I knew what they expected.”

beverage, gaming and general club revenue
is up,” McGill said.

In 2005, the Sunshine Coast council took an
interest in the 53-hectare Horton Park golf
course site in the heart of Maroochydore.

“Wednesday and Saturday competition
days are attracting 280-290 players and
40,000 rounds were played in the first six
months.

When negotiations between council and
the club started McGill was offered the job
as golf operations manager and he waved
goodbye to the foundry.

“We have just finalised the fixture book
and Sunday social club numbers are up 30
per cent on what they were at Horton Park,”
McGill said.

Of course, today he has a few more bob in
his pocket along with the Golf Management
Australia (Qld) manager of the year award.

In 2010, McGill took over as interim general
manager following the resignation of the
previous manager.

“Clubs are coming from outside the
Sunshine Coast because they just want to
play a new course.”

McGill’s extraordinary journey began
when he left school at 16 to start work as
an apprentice patternmaker in a Scottish
shipyard engineering plant.

“Six months later the club decided to
advertise the position through Dixon Wohlsen
because they wanted transparency,” McGill said.

McGill envisages more of the same going
forward, but is mindful of keeping the
members happy.

“There were five candidates on the shortlist, including me, and I got the job.

“We want to continue servicing the
members well and give them a quality golf
course to play week-in, week-out.”

M

AROOCHY RIVER Golf Club general
manager Charlie McGill still
remembers having less than $50 in
his pocket when he arrived from his native
Scotland to start a new life in Australia.
That was 33 years ago.

“When I was 23, I thought there had to
be something better than what I had in
Scotland,” he said.
“I remember wandering into the Australian
Consulate in Edinburgh and was told there
was a shortage of engineering patternmakers
in Australia.
“Three months later my wife and I arrived in
Brisbane.
“There wasn’t any work in Brisbane, but
there was a job in Maroochydore.
“I had no idea where Maroochydore
was, but we came up and rented a house
and by the time we had paid the bond
and everything else we had less than $50
between us,” McGill laughed.
McGill began work at the Mallet Foundry
and worked his way through the ranks to
production manager and eventually general
manager.
In the same year he arrived, 1983, he joined
Horton Park Golf Club.
“I soon got involved and was on the board
for 10 years including four years as club
captain,” he said.
“While I was club captain I had set up
a lot of the procedures and saw it as my

“When I took over the council was putting
pressure on the club and because they
wanted to resume the land.
“After 18 months, a resumption agreement
was reached by both parties, which
gave council the prime piece of land in
Maroochydore in which to build the CBD and
allowed the club to stay in their Maroochydore
location until the new course was ready for play.

When asked about receiving the manager
of the year award, McGill’s response is quick
and concise: surprise.
Charlie McGill (right) receives the GMA (Qld)
manager of the year award from GMAQ
president Aaron Muirhead.

“The club received $42m in compensation
from the council.

the superintendent and his staff were looking
after two golf courses for the last 18 months.

“The negotiation process was tough,
but interesting and I wouldn’t swap the
experience for anything. I learned a lot, but I
wouldn’t want to go through it again.”

“We had a couple of our staff at Maroochy
River full-time and people going from
maintaining Horton Park in the morning to
going to Maroochy River in the afternoon to
get it ready for opening day. The staff did a
remarkable job maintaining both sites.

The upshot was the club purchased a
parcel of land in Bli Bli, eight kilometres from
their existing site, engaged Graham Marsh
to design a golf course and the result is the
magnificent Maroochy River golf course that
boasts 1150 members.
“During the relocation, our biggest
challenge was maintaining two golf courses,”
McGill said.
“As the contract stood, once the holes at Bli
Bli had 90 per cent coverage, we were then
responsible for the maintenance of them so

“It wasn’t easy, but we promised the
members we wouldn’t drop the maintenance
standards as Horton Park had a reputation for
being a good, well-conditioned course.
“We kept our promise and Horton Park was
in great condition until the day we walked
out.”
Nine months down the track and Maroochy
River is receiving rave reviews.
“Most golfers love the course and food and

“I’m honoured to receive it because there
are a lot of good managers in the golf
industry,” he said.
“But this is a team effort. Since taking over
the role, all past and present board members
have been very supportive of me and my
staff are second to none.
“Knowing you have a good board and good
staff with you certainly makes life easier and
I’m sure the club has a great future ahead of
it.”
A keen golfer, McGill honed his skills at
Lochgelly Golf Club not far from St Andrews.
“I played at St Andrews many times and my
best score there was a 77 (off the stick),” said
McGill, who plays off six.
When McGill isn’t working or playing golf
he enjoys going out to dinner with his wife
and having a quiet beer. Aside from that,
Charlie enjoys watching soccer and darts on
television.
“I love watching soccer and darts,” he said.
“But I can’t get enough of the darts.” •

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14

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

IG BUSINESS – general managers

US conference inspires Aussie GMs
generations are not a box, but powerful clues
that drive measurable results – more sales,
better leaders and faster innovation,” he said.

David Newbery
david@insidegolf.com.au

Muirhead said Amy Purdy, who lost her legs
to bacterial meningitis when she was 19, too
was an exceptional keynote speaker.

E

LEVEN Golf Management Australia
(GMA) general managers attended
the Club Managers’ Association of
America’s 89th World Conference on Club
Management and Club Business Expo in San
Diego, California and returned home inspired
and loaded with new ideas.

Originally given less than a two per cent
chance of survival, she beat the odds, battled
depression and rose to accept her new reality
but not any limitations.
Today, she is the top-ranked adaptive
snowboarder in the US. Purdy is a three-time
World Cup Para-Snowboard winner, the 2014
Paralympics bronze medallist and the author of
New York Times bestseller On My Own Two Feet.

The were: Aaron Muirhead (Nudgee Golf
Club), Scott Wagstaff (Carbrook Golf Club),
Barnaby Sumner (Oatlands Golf Club),
Michael Smith (Hartfield Country Club),
Paul Campaner (Capel Golf Club), Russell
Donovan (Box Hill Golf Club), Barbara Kelly
(Chirnside Park Country Club), Deborah
Hupje (Royal Perth GC), Melissa Ellis (Castle
Hill Country Club), Rachel Kane (Anglesea
Golf Club) and Paul Vardy (Golf Australia).
The conference offered club management
professionals the opportunity to take part
in more than 70 education sessions, peer
networking events and also featured a preview
of the latest products and services available
in the industry at the Club Business Expo.
“There were many key takeaways from the
event, both tangible personal and professional
benefits,” said GMA (Qld) president and
Nudgee GC manager Aaron Muirhead.
“This was coupled with industry networking
opportunities where we were able to rub
shoulders with club managers from some
of the renowned and respected golf clubs
in the world including Augusta National,
Congressional Country Club, Shinnecock Hills
Golf Club and others.
“The educational topics covered all areas
of club management and were structured

“Amy delivered a truly powerful and
inspirational message on how to use our
challenges to push past our limits and live a
life without barriers,” Muirhead said.
Another key session was the International
Breakfast and Symposium where attending
country leaders were able to address the
audience and outline the state of the golf
industry in their respective regions.
ON A ROLL: GMA (Qld) managers Scott Wagstaff (Carbrook Golf Club) and Aaron Muirhead
(Nudgee Golf Club) take time out during the Club Managers’ Association of America’s 89th World
Conference on Club Management and Club Business Expo.

“Many factors that face the industry in
Australia are shared in other areas of the world
and it appears that these countries are coming
together with a clear view of improving our
industry worldwide,” Muirhead added.

where attendees had the ability to choose the
topic that best suited their needs and ranged
from corporate governance, junior program
development to personal development
including assessing your own mindset.

“The research Jason’s team has been
working on highlights the ways technology
and culture are converging and how
the generational dynamics will be more
influenced by technology than by time.

“There were also key speakers engaged to
speak to the 2500 strong conference group
of which all were exceptional.

“He delivered a new take on generations
based on his cutting-edge research and
ready-to-use actions.”

“The CMAA conference is an exceptional
event and should be on the to-do list for any
aspiring manager.”

“However, Jason Dorsey was a standout. He
presented to the group that much of what
we believe about generations is wrong.

Muirhead said Dorsey was also “extremely
funny”.

For more information on the CMAA
conference including information about the
2017 event, visit cmaa.org/conf •

“A key outcome from this session is that

“It was clear that the Australian contingent
all came away from the event with many ideas
and even more memories as the CMAA deliver
an exceptional event from start to finish.

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Top award
for WA’s Alex
Monteath
David Newbery
david@insidegolf.com.au

W

EST Australian golfing stalwart Alex
Monteath doesn’t like surprises,
but he received one recently when
Golf Management Australia (WA) honoured
him with the WA Golf Industry Recognition
Award for services to golf.
“It was more of a shock than a surprise because
I had no idea it was coming,” said Monteath
after the WA Golf Industry gala dinner awards
night wrapped up at Crown Perth.
“I don’t like surprises and I’m reticent to
make speeches especially after I’ve been
retired for 14 years. Had I known, I would
have been better prepared.”
GMA director and GMAWA president Brad
Dawson said the award recognised Alex
Monteath’s enormous contribution to the
game of golf in WA.
A highly respected and popular golf
industry figure, Monteath’s contribution
and positive impact over many decades has
helped improve and stimulate the game.

Chairman of the
awards committee
and GMAWA executive
member/captain Troy
O’Hern (right) presents
Alex Monteath with
his WA Golf Industry
Recognition Award.
at Three Springs (300kms north of Perth)
I was co-opted into positions in the local
community,” he said.
“I became honorary secretary of Three
Springs Golf Club, which was a tiny club with
about 70-80 members but no more than 100.
“I did that for five years and towards the
end of that time a local farmer, who was also
a member at Royal Perth Golf Club, said they
had lost their secretary manager.
“He thought my accounting background
made me the ideal candidate for the position
so I applied and got the job.”
Monteath managed the club for three years
before moving to Lake Karrinyup Golf Club
where he was secretary manager for 27 years.

Monteath entered the golf industry
almost by accident after working in banking
followed by a stint in hospital administration.

His GMA career includes being a member of
GMAWA for 44 years, president of GMAWA for
19 years, delegate to the Federal Council for
19 years and president for four years.

“Whilst I was working at a country hospital

The 78-year-old is the No.1 Fellow Member

16

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Robb new
Golf NSW
Participation
and Programs
Manager
GOLF NSW last month announced
the appointment of Andrew Robb
to the new role of Participation
and Programs Manager.

of GMAWA and is a life member of GMA and
GMAWA.
In 2000, Monteath was the recipient of the
Australian Sports Medal.
A member at Lake Karrinyup, Alex plays golf
twice a week off a 21 handicap.
“I love every aspect of golf because you
make so many friends,” he said.
A friend of 50 years is Ted Coker, the former
general manager at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
“I first met Ted in 1966 and we have been
great mates ever since,” Alex said.
“When he and his wife Dorothy came to
Perth they stayed at our house.”
Monteath is on the archives committee at
Lake Karrinyup Golf Club.
“I’m on this committee because I probably
know more about the club than anyone else,”
he said. “We are going through memorabilia
as the club is preparing to write a club history.”

Robb brings to Golf NSW a strong
background in Workplace Health and
Safety, Information Technology and
Human Resources Information Systems
after a 20-year career at Western Sydney
University.
He has held several administrative
positions at club, district and state level
in his 25-year involvement in the game.
He is the current Golf NSW Men’s State
Team Manager and a member of the
Golf NSW Match and Rules Committee.
He is a former Club Delegate for
Metropolitan Zone C and a former Golf
NSW Councillor.
“I’m looking forward to working
with clubs and districts to help them
implement positive changes that will
deliver increased participation in golf
across all demographics,” Robb said.
He is the current Club Captain at
Glenmore Heritage Valley Golf Club,
and when he finds the time to play, he
manages to maintain a healthy plus 3
handicap.

IG BUSINESS

Max Mason
recognised
THE Queensland golf industry
recognised the contribution Max
Mason has made to the industry
by awarding him the Golf Industry
Services to Golf Award.

Cannon new Howlong
Director
of Golf

Max, one the most respected figures in
the golf industry in Australia and abroad,
committed more than 25 years to the golf
industry and always went far above the
normal call of duty as a club manager.

Howlong Golf Resort
President Ken Walton is
pictured congratulating
John Cannon on his
appointment as Director
of Golf.

He worked with the GMA national
board for more than 15 years.
The result of Max’s passion and dedication
was that in 2007 at the Queensland conference,
GMA formed a national body and in 2013
Max was awarded GMA life membership.
He established friendships with GMA’s
national affiliates including the PGA,
Australian Golf Course Superintendents’
Association, Australian Golf Industry Council,
Golf Course Architects and others. These
relationships were vital
for the industry and the
profile of the GMA.

T

HE Howlong Golf Resort has appointed
John Cannon as its first ever Director
of Golf.

The club has a long history of head golf
professionals running the golf operations
as a contractor and is now implementing a
new organisational arrangement, which will
centralise golf operations under the direct
control of the Director of Golf as an employee
of the club.
From Wollongong originally, Cannon is a US
PGA professional who has been based in the
US since 1993. He spent four years as Director
of Golf at Arizona’s Torreon Golf Club, one of
Arizona’s most exhilarating and picturesque
golf experiences.
Prior to Torreon, Cannon was in an assistant’s
role at Anthem Golf and Country Club, located
just outside Las Vegas. He is an accomplished
golfer, who plays of a +2 handicap.

A former US mini-tour winner, Cannon said
he was looking forward to playing in some of
the local pro-ams when time permits.

Howlong general manager Chris Rebbechi
said the club had undertaken an extensive
recruitment process for the position.
“We received a huge response and were
delighted with the high quality of the
applicants,” he said.
“Interviews were conducted with
candidates from Canada, USA, Singapore,
Malaysia and Australia. The applicants’
preparedness to travel long distances at
short notice for the position was testament
to the popularity of the role.”
Howlong is assembling a quality team with
John Anderson (ex-Riverside) recently joining
the grounds team as an assistant led by Paul
Irvine (ex-Royal Melbourne).
The resort has been undergoing
renovations and the club has built four
brand-new luxury apartments to expand
its offering and plans to build an extension
to the clubhouse to incorporate a new pro
shop and to turn the existing pro shop into a
gymnasium.

Sloan into
Hall of Fame

Sloan Morpeth.
SLOAN Morpeth, champion golfer
and well-known golf administrator,
last month received a posthumous
induction into the Hall of Fame at
the Victorian Golf Industry Award.
Morpeth, who died in 1970 aged 73,
was secretary of the Australian Golf Union
(now Golf Australia) for more than 30 years
(1930-1962).
In a dual role, he managed
Commonwealth and Yarra Yarra golf clubs
in the 1930 and 1940s and was honoured
with life membership at both clubs and
Peninsula Country Golf Club.
New Zealand-born, Morpeth won the
New Zealand amateur title three times
(1922-27-29), the New Zealand Open in
1928 and the Victorian amateur in 1929 –
the year he moved to Australia.
After he retired in the 1960s, he became
a course designer and redesigned
Commonwealth, Portsea, Peninsula North
and South course and Narooma golf
course.

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17

IG business

Twin Creeks set for turbo takeoff

Bill Colhoun

Over the next few years the new
enthusiastic ownership group also is to invest
in upgrading the clubhouse and golf course.

ed@insidegolf.com.au

T

HE Twin Creeks Golf and Country
Club, which for a decade has been a
pacesetter in the luxury residential golf
market in western Sydney, is set to soar to new
heights on the wings of the new Badgerys
Creek airport.
Following the purchase last year by a
Chinese consortium of the 340ha estate—
which boasts the acclaimed national top-100
Twin Creeks course and 200 dwellings—a fivestar resort is planned, which will be the first of
its kind in the region.
Its architecture and design will be integrated
into the clubhouse with the aim of it being
the best accommodation and entertainment
venue in Sydney’s west.

The Twin Creeks Development consortium,
which bought Twin Creeks in July, has plans
to capitalise on the site’s key location, five
kilometres north of the Western Sydney
Airport, to open in the mid 2020s. This will
include providing accommodation and
conference facilities for the rapidly expanding
nearby city of Penrith.
“The airport will connect Penrith with the
rest of the world, making us the gateway to
Australia’s largest and most exciting city for
business, tourism and manufacturing,” Mayor
Karen McKeown said when she met the
consortium’s executives in February.
The Chairman of Twin Creeks Development
Dr Lam Yin Lok spoke of the group’s plans for

Redcliffe Golf Club
“Queensland Golf Club of the Year 2014”

future development in Penrith beyond their
existing proposal at Twin Creeks.
“Dr Lam spoke of his group’s interest
in becoming part of the community and
enriching the diverse culture of Penrith,” Cr
McKeown said.
On the golf front, Twin Creeks’ widely
acclaimed Graham Marsh-designed layout
has been on the must-play list of most golfers
since opening in 2006, so it is a popular venue
on the Corporate Golf scene.
Golf is a winning way of fostering corporate
relationships, both on and off the course,
so securing the right venue is paramount to
the success of any Corporate Golf day. Twin
Creeks is fortunate in being able to offer such
a unique superb setting and understands
how it conveys the corporate image of its
customers’ brands. •

Millar the main
attraction in home town
Gold Creek Country Club hosted one of
the strongest pro-am fields ever assembled
in Australia and it was thanks in large part
to PGA Professional Matt Millar who calls
the Canberra-based club home.
In his 17 years as a Member of the PGA
of Australia, Millar has become one of the
most respected and admired players not
just in Australia, but around the world,
forging friendships which were on display
at his own event in Canberra.
Marcus Fraser, Peter O’Malley and Andre
Stolz were just a few of the big names to
come to the nation’s capital to play one of
the strongest pro-am swings on the 2016
PGA Pro-Am Series. Joining them were
some of the rising stars of Australian golf,
including 2014 BMZ New Zealand Open
champion, Dimi Papadatos, 2014 NSW
PGA champion Lincoln Tighe, 2015 Tahiti
International Winner, Callan O’Reilly, and
Victorian young guns, Kris Mueck and Rory
Bourke.
Millar’s good friend and frequent travel
companion David Bransdon showed why
he is still one of the best players in the
country, carding an amazing 4-under 68 in
the afternoon field at Gold Creek to take
victory and keep Millar chasing his first win
at home.
Although relatively new to the
tournament scene, the Austbrokers
Canberra Gold Creek Country Club Pro-Am
has established itself as one of the best
events in the country and with the name
of Matthew Millar behind it, it’s no wonder
the event has received such great support
from the local Canberra community and
his fellow PGA Professionals.
More www.pga.org.au

Air-conditioned clubhouse with bistro, bar and
gaming machines. Function room available.
Fully stocked pro shop with a great range of the
latest gear with two full-time PGA Professionals.
Membership is currently OPEN in all categories.
The Club runs a very successful Sub-Junior
Program, catering for those youngsters yet to face
the full 18 hole challenge. This program is held on
a Saturday and is the envy of many clubs in the
region.

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IG BUSINESS - from the ceo

An Aussie start Golf rounds
to the year
up in 2015
Brian Thorburn
CEO – PGA of Australia

I

t’s been an exciting few months on the
professional golf circuit. We have witnessed
significant success for our Australian
Professionals overseas and delivered a
contingent that couldn’t have been in better
shape as we embarked on the first Major of
the year, The Masters.

Marcus Fraser started the ball rolling in
Malaysia, notching up the first Aussie victory
of 2016 at the European Tour’s Maybank
Championship in February. This win was
quickly followed by Adam Scott, who
defied his putting critics to take out backto-back victories at The Honda Classic and
the World Golf Championships – Cadillac
Championship on the PGA TOUR. Scott Hend
also did his bit to keep the Aussie winning
spirit alive in Asia; securing a victory at the
European Tour and Asian Tour co-sanctioned
True Thailand Classic.
Jason Day kept his 2015 form going,
with back-to-back wins at the Arnold
Palmer Invitational and the World Golf
Championships-Dell Match; returning him to
World Number 1 and capping off a six week
stretch that saw an Australian pick up a title
every week on one of the major international
Tours.
The depth of talent we have competing
around the world is truly phenomenal and
it’s a testament to the entire Australian
golf industry. These champions have come
through junior programs, been offered some
of the best training in the world via our
country’s elite programs and have wonderful
PGA Professionals coaching and supporting

T

he Australian Golf Industry Council
recently released its National
Competition Rounds Report for
the final quarter and full-year results for
2015.

them. For a small country to have produced
so many wonderful golfers is something we
can all be proud of. It’s an exciting time for
Australian golf and I can’t wait to watch the
success of our Professionals continue.
Back home, we’ve had some exciting
winners on the PGA Tour of Australasia
this year including Michael Long (Oates Vic
Open), Ashley Hall (Mercedes-Benz Truck
and Bus Victorian PGA Championship),
Louis Oosthuizen (ISPS HANDA Perth
International), Brad Kennedy (Holden NZ PGA
Championship), Matthew Griffin (BMW ISPS
HANDA New Zealand Open) and David Klein
(Coca-Cola QLD PGA Championship).
The PGA is well underway with preparations
for the Australian summer of golf, with the
Emirates Australian Open, the World Cup of
Golf and the Australian PGA Championship
all set to give Aussie golf fans a season of golf
that they won’t forget. These events will also
provide a great opportunity to get the kids
involved in golf. Jason Day has recently put
his name to Australia’s national junior golf
program, MyGolf, as the program’s official
ambassador.
Junior participation is vital to the future
growth of golf and the PGA and Golf
Australia have collectively spent considerable
time investing in a national junior brand that
will have a positive impact on participation,
create a new legacy for the game and
assist the development of Australia’s next
generation of golfers.
There is no greater priority for the PGA and
Golf Australia than growing the game and
seeing the positive results as juniors tee it up.
To learn more about participating in MyGolf
or becoming a MyGolf Centre, please visit
www.mygolf.org.au •

Approximately 14.54 million rounds
were recorded by GolfLink over a
12-month period ending December
2015, showing a 1.9 per cent increase
over the same 12-month period from the
year prior.
Chairman of the AGIC, Brian Thorburn,
was pleased with the latest 12-month
figures which showed a continued trend
of steady growth.
“It’s encouraging to see steady growth
and that more and more clubs are seeing
an increase in rounds being played,”
Thorburn said.
“With our Australian Professionals
performing so well overseas and with
the reintroduction of golf into the
Olympics, more interest in our sport is
being generated. These events stimulate
golfers, assist clubs and facilities to
promote the game, and help to convert
the casual golfer to a regular golfer.”
Slightly higher growth was recorded
in rounds played by male golfers, who
accounted for 82 per cent of all rounds
played with an increase of 2.1 per cent
on previous years, together with a small
increase in rounds played by female
golfers.
“Female golf participation will continue
to grow thanks to programs like Swing
Fit, which encourages more female

participation in our sport,” Thorburn said.
Competition rounds growth was
achieved in seven of the twelve monthly
periods with WA experiencing the
largest increase in rounds played for the
financial year, recording growth of 10 per
cent in 2015.
Victoria also benefited from a less
disruptive year weather-wise with rounds
growth recorded in each quarter of the
year.
In NSW and SA, the autumn and winter
periods delivered softer demand over
the corresponding period in 2014.
Stronger results were recorded in
metropolitan areas with the collective
capital cities enjoying 3.6 per cent
growth in 2015, with Perth, Adelaide
and Melbourne markets the standout
performers.
For the final quarter of 2015, rounds
were comparably subdued compared to
the same period in 2014. Negative trends
were recorded in NSW, SA and the NT
while Victoria, Qld, WA and Tas recorded
growth.
Queensland stood out as the top
performing state recording a 4.5 per cent
increase in rounds played. In the month
of November rounds played nationally
fell by 7 per cent in 2014, while the same
period in 2015 saw growth.
Competition rounds are defined
as a single handicapped round only
and exclude rounds played in nonhandicapped events and rounds played
at public facilities.

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Scratch and nett divisions for all events and order of merit
Over 65 years section
Play a few or play them all!
Go to www.golfqueensland.org.au for event details and to register.
upcoming events
WHEN
Thursday 5 May
Monday 16 May
Friday 27 May
Monday 30 May
Monday 6 June
Monday 27 June

Golf Services Management Pty Ltd was last
month appointed by the Amstel Golf Club
Board of Directors to manage the Ranfurlie
Golf Course, just outside of Melbourne,
on a fee for service contract. Golf Services
Management Pty Ltd will oversee all venue
operations, finance, marketing, HR and
hospitality services at the venue and will
operate to strict service plans and operational
budgets approved by the Board.

Karen Lunn

Executive Director – ALPG

A

s we all wind down from what was
a fantastic 2015/16 ALPG Tour, we
turn our focus to the other side of our
business the ALPG National Women’s Golf
Clinics.
Our ALPG National Director of Development
Lee Harrington, who joined us in a full time
position after 5 years at Golf Queensland in
December last year was pleased to announce
our early season National Women’s Clinic
Schedule.
“We will kick off 2016 by returning to the
beautiful Windsor Golf Club in Sydney’s west
on Monday 9th May. After hosting last years’
highly successful event, the club was keen to
host another clinic again in 2016. Our clinics
are led by our elite ALPG coaches and hosted
alongside one of our ALPG playing legends.
At Windsor the clinic will be headlined by one
of our elite fitting and coaching professionals
in Jo Bannerman alongside ALPG legend 8
time LPGA winner Rachel Hetherington, with
Natasha Hemms and local Pro Nick Banham
also coaching on the day”.
Harrington was delighted that the first two
clinics of 2016 would be held on the back of
successful clinics in 2015.

“May sees us heading back to the stunning
Bonnie Doon Golf Club once again on Thursday
19th May. We have an impressive line-up
of ALPG coaches headed up by the highly
credentialed Dennise Hutton, International
stars Shani Waugh and Jenny Sevil, and ALPG
and PGA coach Nicole McConnell”

GSM appointed at
Ranfurlie Golf Course

While there have been a few tweaks to
the model from the highly successful clinics
launched in 2015, Harrington is sure that
they will provide a great experience for all
levels of women golfers
“The day involves total game instruction,
from putting and chipping to full swing and
course management and instruction with
your professional for the day. The ladies will
be paired with women of equal abilities or,
if they prefer, with business associates and/
or friends. They will enjoy a light breakfast,
lunch and post-instruction drink and
reception. The feedback from our clinics last
year was fantastic, and we are sure that we
can provide the ladies with an even better
experience in 2016.”
The ALPG National Clinics are something
that the ALPG is really proud of. We started
this project from scratch after a successful
pilot at Oatlands GC in 2014, and last year
we were blown away by how successful
they were and how much the ladies enjoyed
the experience. This year we have added a
section for juniors and beginners which we
feel is very important. We want to play our
part in getting more girls and women playing
golf and also want to see that the transition

5 year
warranty
Parmaker Spirit $2400

from beginner to club golfer happens
more regularly. We want girls and women
to know that golf can be a fun, enjoyable
and inclusive sport, and that becoming
a member of a golf club can be a really
positive experience.

“The Board sees this as an exciting time as
the Club enters a new phase and Ranfurlie
will benefit from the expertise and handson approach provided by Golf Services
Management in all aspects of the business
whilst achieving greater operational
efficiencies and industry leading service levels,”
said Amstel Golf Club President Graeme Percy.

As we confirm venues we will keep you
updated. Join our ‘Friends of the ALPG’
to go on our mailing list.
Bookings http://www.alpg.com.au/clinics

“Working closely with a progressive Board
and a dedicated team of staff, we are perfectly
placed to deliver exceptional results in the
short, medium and long term” said Golf
Services Management Director Ian Denny.

DATE
Monday
9th May
Thursday
19th May
Monday
6th June
Monday
18th July
Monday
1st August

To stay updated with the full clinic schedule
or for bookings head online www.alpg.com.
au/clinics or contact Lee Harrington on 0413
163312 or leeh@alpg.com.au
Follow ALPG on Twitter @ALPGTour
Instagram alpgtour and Facebook Australian
Ladies Professional Golf.

Ranfurlie joins a number of popular
courses operating under the Golf Services
Management banner including Kingston
Links, Morack Public Golf Course, St Andrews
Beach Golf Course and the recently rebranded
Bay Views Golf Course (formerly known
as Rosebud Public or Carrington Park Golf
Course).
One of Australia’s top-100 rated golf clubs,
Ranfurlie Golf Course features first class
facilities including driving range, putting
green and dedicated short game areas as well
as a modern clubhouse incorporating Sports
Bar, Members Lounge and Function Rooms.
More information: www.gsmgolf.com.au,
www.amstel.org.au

For Jarrod, life is more
than just golf
Following his highly-publicised battle with leukaemia over the last few
years, Australia’s Jarrod Lyle has returned to the PGA Tour with a new
battle on his hands: earn enough money via a dwindling number of
“medically exempt” tournaments to not only regain full status on Tour, but
also perhaps reclaim some semblance of normalcy back into his life.
Despite his battles on the course, however, he has also found success and
joy at home, as both a business owner and father.

Inside Golf caught up with Lyle recently, and discussed his life both on—and
off—the golf course.
Garrett Johnston

@johnstongarrett

What do you make of your current form?
Overall, it’s nice to be out here. I feel like I’m
playing the way I need to play. I’m just not
quite getting the most out of my rounds like
I should be getting. The scoring just hasn’t
quite been there. At Torrey Pines, I didn’t do a
whole lot wrong but then I made four bogeys
in the last four holes...
When you cut your season short last year,
what were you able to do with your family
to take your mind off the game?
Well my wife and I started Lyle Apparel
in Australia. I worked on that, did a ton of
practice, went to the gym, all that kind of stuff.

I felt a lot better when I was coming back
in October to play the Frys.com. Things are
trending in the right direction, unfortunately
I’m running out of events but I know what
it’s like out here, you just need to get that
one week where everything sort of comes
together and things can change. So I’m going
to keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully
one day it will turn around.
What’s the challenge been like as far as
managing your expectations?
At first, just sort of get through a couple and
then see how everything was sort of panning
out. Now I feel my game is in a good enough
spot where I shouldn’t be missing cuts. My
bad rounds are better than they’ve been
in the last year. I had a couple bad rounds
in Australia where I’d gone 77, 78 but now
I feel my bad rounds are more around par,

STAYPLAY

one-over, two-over which
out here doesn’t kill you. But
if you start shooting six-over,
that’s when you sort of turn up
to the golf course and realise that
you’re going through the motions.
There are a lot of positives to come
out of the game at the moment.
Is your drive and the fight still
there?
It’s definitely still there. I don’t
usually get angry and frustrated on
the golf course.
The bad shots are starting to get
better. I’m still not letting things get to
me because I know I’m lucky enough
Jarrod Lyle at the Farmers Insurance
Open (photo Felix A. Marquez).

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cover story
to have the chance to play golf again
so I think my whole outlook on golf is
a little different than everybody else’s
out here but I’ve still got that desire
to do as well as I can. I’m not going to
sit here and say that I don’t get angry
on a bad round but I don’t show it. I
just sort of suck it up and just get on
with it.
Is that sort of part of the process of
staying composed?
Yeah, the big picture is, I’ve always
said from the minute I got sick that if
I never play golf again then I would
be happy. But now that I feel well
enough to come out here and play
and compete, those feelings are still
there. I still want to do as well as I can,
I still want to get out there and play
my best. I think the way I compose
myself on the golf course is very
good. But I still get frustrated at bad
shots and silly mistakes and I think
regardless of whether I’m playing
anymore or not I think that I’m always
going to be like that. That’s the
competitive edge that everyone out
here has got.
I’ve always been very calm on the
golf course, and I’ll always be that
way but deep down I get shitty with
myself and I guess I just don’t show it.
How much do you look ahead in
the schedule?
I don’t really know of what
tournaments that are coming up,
I’ve got a fair idea. I’ll try to ‘Monday’
(qualify) for some of them. I just don’t
know how I’d go four weeks in a row
at this point. That’s one thing that I’ve
sort of had to keep a close eye on that
I don’t destroy myself physically before
the tournament starts. Just make sure
that everything is done in moderation
in my preparation.
Tell us about Lyle Apparel.
It’s actually been pretty cool to still
be within the golfing industry and
have a different kind of side to it. For
me to actually get inside pro shops
and meet people and talk to them
and try to make them buy a bunch
of my stuff. But it’s something that is
completely out of my comfort zone
just to go and cold call a bunch of
people and set up appointments, to
travel up to New South Wales or up in
Queensland. For me to drive around
for a week and try and sell some
belts…I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been nice to
be able to use my name a little bit. I’ve
run into a few places that some people
may never get into but I guess when
it’s your business you’ve got to work
your butt off at it, the same as my golf.
I’ve been working my butt off at that
as well and my wife is pretty much the
brains behind Lyle Apparel, she’s the
one who’s done all of the hard yards,
I go in and call myself the salesman
of the year when I sell a few belts to
show that all the hard work is starting
to pay off.
How would you describe your
wife’s role in all this?
She’s the boss. The boss of
everything. But she’s the one who
organises the shipments that come
in. She organizes the customs, does
all the ordering, the posting of belts,
the shipping of orders and all of
that stuff. She’s pretty much doing

Join Carnarvon Golf Club in MAY and get

Jarrod proudly sporting a NexBelt.
everything there. Now she’s pregnant,
and she’s also got our little four yearold running around as she tries to
keep the business going, but she’s
doing a fantastic job. She’s working
her butt off because she wants to see
it do well and when it’s your business
and your money that’s going into it
you want to try and do everything
you can to try and make it work.
How many hours in a week do you
put into it?
She probably puts in a good 30-40
hours a week. She sits in front of her
computer and does a bunch of stuff.
My cousin’s wife is helping as well
on the accounting side of it. They’re
working pretty hard. We did a thing
at the Australian Open where they
sold belts out of one of the marquees
down there from 7am to 5pm. I’m very
impressed that she’s doing it and it
gives her something to do too, keeps
her occupied when I’m not there.
Talk about your specific relationship
with NexBelt?
We’re the distributors for NexBelt in
Australia, they’re based in the U.S. It
all started when we had a meeting in
Las Vegas in 2014. They asked me if
I wanted to wear their belts. During
that meeting I found out they were
looking for someone to do Australia,
trying to expand out of the U.S. My
wife and I didn’t say a word to each
other, we just sort of looked at each
other when the folks were still there
and we thought ‘Why don’t we give
it a go.’ Since that day she’s really
jumped on board and run with it.
How rewarding is it to have your
young daughter in your life?
Ah mate, it means everything to
me. Years ago I wasn’t sure if I was
ever going to be able to have kids.
She came along and I guess the
whole timing of me getting sick and
her being born was pretty crappy,
but she gave me that thing I always
needed to fight for. I always had my
wife in my corner but to have a little
one always there, it was nice to see
her smile at the hospital. She was
the thing that kept me alive. She
doesn’t know that yet but she sees
pictures at home of me with no hair
and she doesn’t understand that I
was three-quarters dead at one time.
She doesn’t understand all that so

she’s still very innocent to things that
have happened to me in the past.
She’s that person that I would give
everything up in heartbeat to look
after her. She means the world to me;
I’d do anything for her.
And you’ve got another one on the
way?
The marvel of what doctors can
do, the IVF. It’s just been an amazing
process to see how it all goes about
starting, and getting pregnant. What
my wife had to do to get herself
pregnant, she had to give herself
needles and all that, making me
give her needles—which I’m not a
huge fan of—but it’s something that
you’ve got to do. But it’s nice to see
the end result come through and
she gets pregnant. We feel very lucky
that we’re able to have a second kid
coming. A lot of people don’t get
that opportunity to have any kids at
all so we’re just very lucky. Hopefully
number two comes along and is very
happy and healthy and grows up to
be a pain in daddy’s ass.
Just like your wife giving you a
swift kick?
She’s done that a few times over the
years and it’s well deserved. •
Editor’s note: Following the interview,
Jarrod noted on his website/blog
(www.jarrodlylegolf.com) that he is
currently spending time with his wife in
Australia for the impending birth of the
couple’s second child. Jarrod has now
competed in 17 of his 20 tournaments
via a “medical exemption”, and while
his recent results on tour aren’t meeting
his expectations (in his own words,
the experience has been “frustrating”
and “demoralising”), he vows he “is not
giving up!” and will be “working his
butt off” here in Australia to prepare for
his remaining three U.S. events, which
could potentially be in July.
Jarrod is also an ambassador for
Challenge Australia, a non-profit
organisation providing children living
with cancer and their families an
opportunity to interact with others
in similar circumstances.. For more
information: www.challenge.org.au
Garrett Johnston is a golf journalist
based in California. He covers the
game on an international level for IG,
New Zealand Golf Magazine, Today’s
Golfer UK, and Golf World UK.
www.insidegolf.com.au | May 2016

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CARNARVON GOLF CLUB
Carnarvon Golf Club is a Par 72 Championship Golf Club
located in Lidcombe, just 10 minutes from
Sydney Olympic Park.
The Club has hosted Qualifying rounds for the Australian
Open in each of the past 4 years. Carnarvon was also home
to the Australian Schoolboys Championships.
The course is a beautiful, easy walking, slightly undulating
layout. The course boasts lush Kikuyu fairways and
Poa grass greens. It is kept manicured all year round.
The Fairway mounds, bunkers and water hazards make
it a challenging course.
To top off a great day on the course, Carnarvon also boasts
a modern and friendly club-house, with bistro service every
day of the week for lunch and dinners on Wednesdays to
Saturdays. Functions are well catered for in the stunning
200 seat function room.

y next stop was beautiful Auckland
for the New Zealand PGA. I hadn’t
been to Auckland for about 10
years so I was looking forward to not only
playing Remuera golf club for the first time
but also seeing the city of Auckland again.
I had a great practice round and felt like I
had a breakthrough in regards to my swing
technique. I found a way that I could keep my
lower half a little stiller which is something
I had been working on for a while. The golf
course was great and even though it was a tier
2 event, it was definitely run like an Australian
Open or PGA championship. It was a tight
course where driving the ball straight was a
must with average-size but slopey greens.
Due to how soft the course was, scores
were low. I shot 2-under the first day and was
in 40th position. The feel that I had worked
on earlier in the week started working as my
next two rounds of 5-under jumped me up
into the top 10. The last day I turned 4-under
for the day and thought with another four
or five birdies on the back-9 I may be a
chance. But on 10 I hooked my tee shot and
a double-bogey later killed that idea. I fought
back to shoot another 5-under to finish in a
tie for 7th, a pretty solid week, 17-under. It just
goes to show you how good the level is out
there when 17-under finishes 7th!
I have to give a huge shout out to John and
Annie that put Pete and myself up for the

week. Their house was amazing and between
Annie’s cooking and John’s beer fridge
we had a great time. And Annie cooked a
crispy skin salmon that was one of the most
amazing meals I have ever had!

to stay patient which is, as most of us know,
really difficult sometimes. Well, it worked
as I made a couple of birdies coming in and
was 2-under through 36 holes, a few back
but in the fight. Last year I shot 64, 65 on the
weekend so I was looking for the same rounds
to jump up the leaderboard. And guess what:
I shot 64, 65 again. On Friday afternoon I did
some work with my coach on visualization on
the greens and it worked. I can’t stress how
important it is in all parts of your game to see
what you want to do. If you can’t see it there
is a good chance that it may not happen. I
finished at 13-under-par and in a tie for 6th. As
it ended up I was only two shots out of being
in a play off. It’s amazing that the first two
rounds weren’t great and at the end I nearly
got there.

On Monday morning I Pete and I jumped
on a plane to the amazing Queenstown.
This would have to be one of my favourite
places in the world. Not only is the town of
Queenstown beautiful but Millbrook and The
Hills golf courses are world class. At Christmas
last year I gave my mum a present which was
a trip to New Zealand as she had never been
there before. So we organized a rental house
in central Queenstown so mum could go on
some day tours while I was at work.
The first day was interesting. We woke up to
heavy rain and were fairly glad not to be out
there. As we were driving out mid-morning
the rain stopped and the sun came out. ‘I’m
blessed’ was what I thought… until about 15
minutes before my tee time! The wind had
suddenly come up, gusting at about 60km per
hour. Now I was thinking ‘I’m not sure what
would be better, rain or this’! I started average
with four 3-putts on my first 9, but played
great coming in, signing for a 1-under par, 71,
which I was happy with due to the conditions.
I played at the Hills the second day
and started great, being 2-under after 5.
Unfortunately that’s where my move forward
ended. Three more birdies and four bogeys
meant I again signed for a 1-under par which
had me mid-field after two rounds, but I
needed to shoot a low one to give myself a
chance of winning Sunday afternoon.
That low 3rd round never eventuated, with
my ballstriking good but the putter going
cold. I turned the front 9 in 2-under but made

nothing coming in and again signed for a
1-under par 71 to have me at 3-under through
54 holes. A final round 72 had me finishing in
37th position. Not a bad week but I never really
got going. It was great having mum there for
the week. She had a great insight into the life
of a touring pro, and I’m pretty sure that she
saw every part of Queenstown!
My next event was the QLD PGA
Championship at City Golf Club in
Toowoomba. This is an event that I have
played well at over the past couple of years
and I have even won the Pro-Am there. This is
another tier 2 event that is run like a tier 1. The
committee, members and community always
get behind the event and make you feel really
welcome. I played solid the first day shooting
2-under but woke up the 2nd day feeling a
little average and hence I struggled early. I was
2-over through 12 holes and doing my best

I would like to thank City Golf Club for my
accommodation at the City Golf Club motel. It’s
in a great position and the rooms were great.
13 hours after finishing in Toowoomba I was
on a plane to Sydney for the Castle Hill ProAm. It’s an event that I love to support. Castle
Hill is an awesome golf course and David
Northey, the head professional is a good
mate so I always make a effort to play. I play
with the same guys each year. Rob, Dave and
Roscoe are great to play with, and will always
beat any confidence out of you that you may
have, and there is never a shortage of laughs!
Anyway, it was a tough event, shooting 75,
76 and winning a centre of a doughnut! But it
was great to see old mates and stay with my
sister Joanne, Mark her partner and her boys
Flynn and Jesse.
I now have a few weeks off before I head up
to PNG and then get ready for the Volvo China
and the Maekjung in Korea. It’s a tough little
stretch but I’m sure a win will make it easier. •

UEENSLAND PGA Pro-Am
Series Sunshine Swing Order
of Merit winner Tim Hart has
the game to reach the highest level,
says his coach Richard Woodhouse.
“He’s incredibly talented and has the
attributes to compete with the best
players in the game,” said Woodhouse,
the 2015 Queensland PGA teaching
professional of the year.
“He’s powerful off the tee, has a
great wedge game and has great
touch around the greens.
“He definitely has the quality to
make it to the PGA Tour.”
A power-hitter who regularly
launches 300m missiles, Hart is
familiar with shooting low scores
like the 61 – nine-under par – in the
final round of the Queensland PGA
Championship.
Mind you, it could have been as low
as 58 had he parred the hole instead
of signing for a triple bogey that put
him in a playoff with Germany’s David
Klein, which he eventually lost.

lifestyle of a touring professional.
“It’s great travelling the world and
I do love the lifestyle,” said the Gold
Coast-based professional.
“You can practice and play in
different locations and you can do a
lot of other things people who sit in
an office every day can’t do.”
Last year, Hart amassed an
astonishing 27 top-10 finishes that
included seven victories with the
highlight being winning the rich
Bartons/BMD Wynnum Pro-Am for
the second time in three years.
This year he finished runner-up at
the Queensland PGA Championship,
had a top-five at the Victorian PGA
and was 10th in the New Zealand
PGA Championship.
Since turning professional in 2011,
Hart has honed his skills on the proam circuit.
“It’s extremely competitive because
there are a lot of good players on the
tour,” he said.
“Even the Australian players on the
US, European and Asian circuits want
to play in the pro-ams when they
come home.”

The 26-year-old has put the
disappointment behind him and is
focussing on his short- and long-term
goals.

Peter Senior, Rod Pampling, Steven
Bowditch, Cameron Smith and others
are Troppo Tour regulars at the end of
each year.

“I’m trying to get my first four-round
victory so I can qualify for the bigger
events in Australia – the Australian
PGA, Australian Open and the
Australian Masters,” Hart said.

“There’s always low scores in the
pro-ams so you have to be making
plenty of birdies to compete or win.”

“My long-term goal is to get a card
to play the US PGA Tour, but first I will
try for a card on the secondary
Web.com Tour. I think the US will suit
my game.”
Hart says he enjoys the nomadic

Hart, who took up golf at the age
of 13 and secured his first job as a
cart attendant at Tamworth Golf Club
in country New South Wales, has
become a more consistent putter
since adopting the AimPoint putting
method. AimPoint is a system for
reading greens more accurately.

“We introduced AimPoint a few
months ago and Tim had instant
success and now there are no more
misreading putts,” Woodhouse said.
“Now Tim is clear with his start lines
and it clears up a lot of the tension
on the green, which can happen in
tournament golf.”
An important ingredient of being
a professional golfer is having the
belief in your own ability and it’s
something coach and player continue
to work on.
“We are currently working on
getting Tim to build the belief that
matches his ability,” Woodhouse said.
“Building mental strength is a big
part of it.

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“It’s about understanding that
sometimes you don’t have to be
perfect on the golf course. If you draw
a bad lie or miss a putt, it’s about
leaving that behind and still have the
same positive outlook going to the
next hole.
“It’s about trying to find a neutral
place on the golf course rather than
reacting to negative situations.
“If we can bridge that gap it’s a big
step in the right direction.
“In the last three years, his rate of
development has been impressive.
“We have seen better results and
more prizemoney because he works
hard and understands the game.”
Away from golf, Hart enjoys
spending time with his family and
girlfriend Paige, going to the beach,
gymnasium and playing darts.
“I can throw a decent dart,” he said.
For Tim Hart, hitting the bullseye is
routine but his aim and focus remains
on securing a playing card to the
world’s most lucrative tour. •
www.insidegolf.com.au | May 2016

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AC provides an immediate acceleration from a standstill
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It pulls well.”

he crème de la crème of Legend Tour
Professionals gathered in Victoria last
month for the Victorian leg of the E-ZGO PGA Legends Tour, in what was a successful
two-week stint in the southern, eastern and
central parts of the state.
Former Major winner Ian Baker-Finch joined
a host of well-known Australian Legend
Professionals including former Alfred Dunhill
Cup winner (1986) and US PGA Champions
Tour winner (2003), Rodger Davis, European
Open winner (1991), Mike Harwood, and
New Zealand Open winner (2004), Terry Price,
as they battled it out in eight Order of Merit
tournaments across the Mornington Peninsula,
Yarra Valley and Central Victoria regions.
Vying for $105,000 in prize money, South
African Chris Williams, who finished in the top20 on the European Senior Tour last year, came
out with all guns blazing to produced three
victories.
His first victory came at the ProCon Gardiners
Run Legends Pro-Am in Lilydale where he
equalled the course record of 8-under 64 in a
round that included six birdies and an eagle to
take the title.
A 2-under 70 at the Northern Health
Foundation Annual Corporate Seniors Pro-Am
at Growling Frog Golf Course in Yan Yean was
enough to tie for victory with Peter Woodward,
before finishing things off in Heathcote where
a 7-under 64 saw a four shot victory over
Victorian Tim Elliott to claim the City of Greater
Bendigo Heathcote Legends Pro-Am.
These victories were the kick-start the
South African needed, after wrapping up his
2015 European Senior Tour campaign with a
T3 finish at the MCB Tour Championship in
Mauritius; ranking him at 17 on the European
Senior Tour Order of Merit and securing an

South African Chris Williams (left) at the ProCon Gardiners Run Legends Pro-Am.
unconditional card for 2017.
If it wasn’t for the E-Z-GO PGA Legends
Tour, Williams, who has played on the Tour
since 2013, believes he wouldn’t have kept
his card on the European Senior Tour, as the
competition in Australia, has played a vital
role in honing his talents in the lead up to
MCB Tour Championship.
“I thank the E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour for
the opportunity it gave me to sharpen my
skills before the MCB Tour Championship,”
said Williams.
“I don’t believe I would have kept my card
if it wasn’t for the competition in Australia,
I finished 3rd in Mauritius and retained my
playing privilege for 2016.”
The E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour is the
Professional golf circuit for Professional
golfers aged 50 and over. Approximately 80

tournaments operate throughout Australia
and The Pacific regions with over AU$1
million in prize money on offer each year.
Former Major Championship winners
Wayne Grady (US PGA) and Ian Baker-Finch
(The Open), along with Australian golfing
legends such as Peter Fowler, Michael
Harwood, Michael Clayton and Peter Senior
all feature regularly on the E-Z-GO PGA
Legends Tour.
The PGA of Australia welcomes new
events on the E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour.
Golf Clubs who are interested in running
a E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour event are
encouraged to contact Andy Rogers,
Legends Tour Coordinator, at the PGA on
03 8320 1992 or arogers@pga.org.au for
further information. •

Oatlands receive
Buddy Club accolade
Oatlands Golf Club has been selected as a
finalist in ‘Clubs in Collaboration’ category of the
Clubs NSW 2016 Clubs and Community Awards.
The selection recognises the work that the
metropolitan Sydney club has undertaken with
their country ‘Buddy Club’ partner, Oberon Golf
Club.
“We are thrilled with this recognition as a club,”
says Oatlands General Manger Barnaby Sumner.
“It shows what can be achieved by a couple of
clubs when they work together.”
Oatlands and Oberon Golf Clubs were paired as
Buddy Club partners in the first stage of the Golf
NSW Buddy Club Program in 2015.
The Program has proved enormously beneficial
to both clubs, with the flow of technical
expertise in areas like club management and
golf course operations helping the small country
club.
Other benefits to flow through included the
donation of excess equipment for Oberon’s
Commercial kitchen, clinics and tuition in the
game conducted by Oatlands golf operations
staff, and some organized “Super 6s” and
Ambrose competitions. There was even a popup golf shop offering products that the Oberon
locals didn’t get access to purchase on a regular
basis.
The Buddy Club Program was launched by
Golf NSW in March 2015 with more than 120
clubs signing on to the program during the first
round of offers. Participating clubs have enjoyed
benefits ranging from strategic planning
workshops, the donation of excess course and
office equipment, and organized visits from staff
and executives to share industry expertise.
The winning club will be announced at the
Clubs NSW Clubs & Community Awards Dinner
on May 6th.

s the fourth annual ACGC regional
series comes to a close, the ACGC
committee can confidently say this
has been the best series to date and look
forward to what should be the biggest and
best Championship Final.
The interest in the event has grown by
leaps and bounds this year and as a result the
regional series has been extended to right up
until the end of May. This means some event
champions only have to wait a week or two
for their golf holiday!
With the new rules of this series allowing
any Australian golfer to enter regardless of
Auto Club membership, we expect a more
diverse group of champions at the 2016
Championship Final and therefore some
tougher competition than in years past.
Competitors will descend upon RACV Royal
Pines Resort at the end of this month to stake
their claim as Australia’s Best Amateur Golfers.
Amongst this group of golfers, we have
noticed a few trends that have begun to
emerge.
At most of the regional events this series
there have been competitors and champions
from previous years, returning for another
shot at the trip to Queensland. It is always
great to see familiar faces at the events, and
it only adds to the excitement of the day to
hear them talk about their experiences at
previous Finals.
This year’s Queensland Final will welcome
three pairs that have qualified through
before. While some say this will give them an

edge in the competition, with a field of the
best amateurs in Australia it’s really anyone’s
game!
It would seem this year has also been
more of a family affair than other series. The
regional events have produced champion
pairs made up of husbands and wives, fathers
and sons, and siblings. A pairs’ competition
is a great way to bond with your loved ones,
and an all-expense paid golf trip to the Gold
Coast makes for the perfect family vacation.
Some pairs have invited along partners and
kids and have extended their stay at RACV
Royal Pines Resort beyond the competition
to really soak in the beauty of the Gold Coast
resort.

One of the standout father/son pairs
qualified at the RACV Royal Pines Resort
regional event. Barry and Trent Rhodes will
be returning to the resort to compete, which
is notable as Trent was our first-ever junior
golfer to qualify to the Final. With this series
implementing the rule of juniors of any age
being able to qualify, 17 year-old Trent chose
a good year to enter.
As always, we expect the Championship
Final to be a golf trip to remember for
everyone involved. Though the focus is the
competition, we also hope that all of our
qualifying pairs have a fun and relaxing
time. We encourage anyone following
along at home to check out our Facebook

page at https://www.facebook.com/
autoclubgolfchampionship/. We will be
posting photos and videos from the Final and
will of course be announcing Australia’s Best
Amateur Pair! •

More please, say William and Chloe
David Newbery
david@insidegolf.com.au

G

ROWING indigenous participation in golf is something
siblings William and Chloe Letts encourage – albeit for
different reasons.
“Golf is a great sport because it’s fun and you learn that it’s
not just about winning all the time,” said 15-year-old William.
Chloe, 14, says she established very quickly that golf helped
control her emotions.
“Golf calms me down especially if I am having a bad day,” she
said.
Little wonder the pair wear permanent smiles whenever they
turn up for practice or play. Of course, at home golf is often the
topic of conversation.
Since joining Pacific Golf Club in Brisbane, William and Chloe
have excelled under the tutelage of club professional Mark
Victorsen and recently competed in the 54-hole Queensland
Indigenous Championship at Murgon Golf Club, 270 kilometres
northwest of Brisbane.
Surprisingly, Chloe was the only female to compete at the
championship.
Still, it didn’t bother her as she improved her score each day
and won the junior nett and a $50 voucher, which contributed
towards a new pair of golf shoes.
Chloe has only been playing golf for nine months and in the
past five months has reduced her handicap by 17 strokes to 28.
“I was doing dancing and got sick of that and I wasn’t sure
what sport to do,” she said. “William was playing golf so I
thought I’d give it a try and I love it.”
William, who plays off 6.8, took out the A grade nett on the
final day of the championship and finished eighth behind
winner Rickie Dodd.
William and Chloe live with their grandmother Marilyn in the
suburb of McKenzie, which is seven kilometres from the golf
club.
“I first got interested in golf when my dad Robert gave me a
golf club when I was quite young,” William said. “When he saw

William and Chloe Letts can’t stop smiling since discovering golf. INSET: Coach Mark Victorsen.
potential in me he put me into golf at Logan City Golf Club.”
Marilyn said her grandchildren moved in with her because
they wanted to join Pacific Golf Club.
“They have been with me for three years and I take them to
the golf club three or four times a week to practice and play in
the club’s competitions.
“Their dad runs a business so it’s hard for him to get to golf,
but they see him on weekends.”
Both William and Chloe aspire to be professional golfers, but
know it’s going to take hard work and dedication.
A strong ball-striker, William says he needs to work on his hot
and cold putting.
“Sometimes my putting gives me grief, but other days it’s
great,” he laughed.
“But my coach, Mark, is a good teacher and he’s helping me
improve all the time.
“Since working with Mark I have learnt that I can easily fix any
mis-hit or bad shots.”
Chloe is working to improve her pitching and putting to
complement her long game.

“Pacific is a great golf club and you never get tired of playing
the golf course,” she said. “Every time you play the course there
seems to be another challenge.”
Described as having tidy golf games, do the teenagers keep
their bedrooms neat and tidy?
“Yes they do,” Marilyn said. “Their dad is the disciplinarian so if
they don’t do it I call him and he sorts it out,” she laughed.
“I’m so glad they are involved in golf and with Pacific because
it’s a wonderful club and the people are so nice.”
President of the juniors Peter Johnstone welcomed William
and Chloe to the Pacific Junior Golfing Academy.
“They are great kids, enthusiastic and both are naturally
talented golfers,” he said.
“Importantly, I think they have a great opportunity to be
ambassadors for indigenous golf.
“Not many young indigenous people are drawn to golf and
I think William and Chloe can be part of changing that. They
have already achieved a lot of success and I am sure there is
more to come for both of them.” •

www.insidegolf.com.au | May 2016

31

juniors

Josh accepts ‘hits’ and moves on Young golfer on the right track

T

P

HERE is truth in the phrase “work smarter,
not harder” but for Gold Coast junior
Joshua Capes, doing both, working
harder and smarter, is paying dividends.
The 17-year-old realised he needed
to improve his work ethic after he was
overlooked by Queensland selectors for a spot
on the state junior team.
That wasn’t his only disappointment.
He wasn’t invited to join the Queensland
Institute of Sport program and he missed
out on top-7 selection for the Emerald Lakes
pennant team.
According to Joshua’s dad Greg, his son took
it in his stride and decided to make positive
changes to his approach to the game.
“The three letdowns have been a godsend
and proof that if you work hard the rewards
will eventually come,” Greg said.
“After Josh missed selection for the
Queensland junior team he started looking
further into his game with his coach Kevin
Morley and they come to the conclusion that
he needed to work harder and smarter.
“Josh started training in all aspects of the
game at a more intense level.
“Currently, he trains up to 70 hours a week
and the work is starting to pay off.
“In his last four competition rounds at
Emerald Lakes Golf Club he is 23-under par.
He shot 68-70-61-66 and the 61 – 11-under
par – equalled the course record by an
amateur.
“All he wants to do is play golf, but he
realised to be successful he needed to work
harder to get the rewards.”
Greg said his son realised he didn’t deserve
to be picked in the State junior team.
“Missing out on being selected hurt him,

Joshua Capes has put three disappointments
behind him and is moving forward with his golf.
but then he realised these things don’t get
handed to you on a plate. You have to work
for them.
“He didn’t deserve to be picked in the team
and he knew it. That was one of the driving
forces for him to move forward.
“Since he’s had the letdowns he’s been
a different person and is determined to
succeed.
“Mind you, I told him if he didn’t want to
continue with his golf he would need to find a
full-time job.”
Aside from practising and playing, Joshua,
a member at Royal Pines Resort, works at the
Palm Meadows driving range.
“Joshua has truly proved that if you work
hard the rewards will come. He loves his golf
and I think you will hear a lot more him over
the next few years,” said proud dad Greg.

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HIL Cartwright, the club professional at
Young Golf Club in the South West Slopes
of NSW, believes the club has unearthed a
potential golf star.
Joel Shields, who dreams of becoming a
professional golfer, has the ability to reach the
top of his sport, according to Cartwright.
“Joel swings a golf stick about as well as
anyone that I have seen,” he said.
“His swing is the most modern, technically
proficient and reliable of any young man that
has come through Young Golf Club in my 30plus years here.
“If what we have witnessed in the past month
is any indication, he is right on course to
achieve his goals.”
Cartwright is referring to Shields’ 60 (10-under
par) off the stick in February along with his
results in the South West Slopes Credit Union
Club Championships.
He was quick to point out Young golf course
is no pushover as it boasts narrow fairways and
small, tricky greens.
“Young Golf Club has many seriously good
players,” Cartwright said. “There are six who
have played off scratch or better in the past
year or two and 12 players are currently on four
or less.”
Despite the challenging course and
strong field, Shields went on to win the club
championship by a staggering 29 strokes.
“Joel was in a class all of his own,” Cartwright
said. “His 12-under par total was a record score
and his victory was a record margin.
“He also claimed the official course record
with a seven-under par 63 in the second round.”
“To be a world-class player, you must have
a technique that is reliable and be able to
produce the results time after time. Joel has
this ability.

“Joel’s last 10 rounds are an aggregate total of
35-under par – an average of 3.5-under par for
every round.
“He demonstrates enormous self-belief and
trust in his ability under pressure.
Cartwright said watching Shields, who plays
off +4, tee off the 10th hole in the final round of
the championship was akin to watching Adam
Scott.
“The trajectory, distance and purity of the
strike reminded me of Adam Scott,” he said.
Shields’ results has the club excited and it is
supporting his quest to be the best player he
can be by helping raise funds for him to travel
overseas and pursue his dreams.
Through donations, auctions, prizes and
memorabilia have contributed to raising some
money to allow Shields to travel to the US
in June and July to play in regional amateur
championships.
Shields, 20, said he was looking forward to his
first trip overseas.
“Hopefully, I will get some good results and
will then think about turning pro through
qualifying school,” he said.
The 20-year-old is a good ball-striker and
possesses a good short game.
“Joel will use the US experience as a
springboard into a playing career,” Cartwright
said.

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clubs

Liverpool flips the membership model

L

iverpool Golf Club has taken a bold
step in order to make membership more
affordable.

On the 27th and 28th May, 24 of
Australia’s best junior golfers will take on
New Zealand in a format similar to the
Ryder Cup.

Recognising that the current membership
model is becoming less popular, particularly
with younger members, the club has taken
the initiative to restructure its membership
fees.

“We are very excited to launch the
inaugural U.S. Kids Golf Trans Tasman Cup
and to provide an opportunity for kids to
represent their country playing golf in a
fun and competitive format,” said Kevin
Wallis, U.S. Kids Golf Managing Director.

“The traditional membership model
has relied on a high annual subscription
with relatively low participation fees,” says
Liverpool General Manager Peter Summers.
“We’ve found that the high annual fees have
in fact become a barrier to entry to golf club
membership. This is particularly the case
with the Generation X and Generation Y
demographic.”

The U.S. Kids Golf Trans Tasman Cup
will be an annual tournament with the
venue alternating between Australia and
New Zealand. The inaugural event will be
held at Moore Park Golf and will set the
benchmark for junior tournaments in the
Pacific region.

The Club believes that a different model
with a lower annual subscription fees
combined with competition fees based on
demand for premium competition days is the
way to go.
“We’ve reduced the annual subscription
for Full Membership from $1850 per
annum to $1200 and introduced a sliding
scale for Saturday, Sunday and mid-week
competitions,” says Summers.
The club’s new pricing structure looks
to tap into the time-poor golfer market
who typically can’t justify the high cost of
a golf club membership. They’re offering
an affordable annual fee with pay as you
golf competition fees, which makes their
membership model a true ‘user pay’ product.
Summers also says that the club has
combined their Six Day membership with
the Full membership category to offer even
greater flexibility.
“By combining these two categories,

Aussie juniors
battle for Trans
Tasman Cup

members who generally play only on
Sundays now have the added benefit of
being able to play the occasional Saturday
competition, simply by paying the
competition fee of the day”.
This new initiative adds to the club’s
successful Intermediate Membership that
was introduced in 2013 and is targeted
at persons aged between 21 and 37. It
combines the annual subscription and
competition fees into one affordable price of
$1200 per annum.
“The best outcome from the growth in
Intermediate membership is that almost 50%
of these members have not previously been
members of a golf club,” says Summers.

“The Board is very focused on looking to
the future and recognises that adapting
to change is fundamental to surviving in
a market that’s extremely competitive at
the moment. We’re delighted that we’ve
experienced a 14% growth in membership
since 2011 which comes at a time when the
general Sydney Metropolitan market has
declined by 8% over the same period”.
The club is hopeful that the new structure
will not only attract new members but will
help reduce the attrition rate at renewal time
in June.
For more information go to
www.liverpoolgolf.com.au •

“Players will participate in an official
Opening Ceremony where they will be
kitted out in their country colours, will
sing their National Anthem and raise
their flag . The first day will see the kids
play in a Pro Kids event which is based
on the traditional Pro-Am events you
see preceding majors.” Wallis said. “We
are thrilled to have the support of some
inspiring pros who are passionate about
junior golf.”
“U.S. Kids Golf New Zealand has
finalised their team and at last count has
a contingent of over 100 New Zealanders
traveling to Australia as spectators,
coaches and caddies. This will make for
a great competitive atmosphere,” says
Wallis. We also have some great prizes on
offer with Oakley coming on board as a
sponsor for the event.

Available at

www.insidegolf.com.au | May 2016

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clubs

Oxley launches pay-for-play
membership

I

n an attempt to move with the times
and offer time-poor golfers an attractive
membership alternative, Queensland’s
Oxley Golf Club has introduced a Pay-forPlay membership option. The Club sees this
as an opportunity to allow golfers who have
limited availability to play golf (due to other
commitments, etc), the ability to be a member
of a club, have a handicap and play in club
competitions, all at a reasonably-priced figure.

Rosebud Country Club was congratulated
by Blind Golf Victoria President Mr Doug
Sloan not only for the use and presentation
of the course but also for the gracious level of
support provided by the many volunteers
who helped stage the event.

The Club is confident that their
current seven-day members will not be
inconvenienced as this new category will have
restricted access to the Saturday timesheet,
which is currently limited to 14 days in
advance.

Sponsorship opportunities are available to
anyone wishing to offer charitable support
to the blind golf community. Also, blind
golf is open to people of all ages and is a
perfect avenue for those club golfers who are
experiencing some sight loss to stay involved
in our great game.

With currently 30 to 40 vacant time slots
available most Saturdays, the club feels that
both full members and pay-for-play members
can be accommodated.

The following conditions apply: Access to

Rod Mills from NSW won the 2016 Blind
Golf Victoria Open Championship played at
Rosebud Country Club on 14-15 April. Rod,
who is a B3 player on a handicap of 30, played
a solid first round with Ian Winnett as caddie
scoring 37 stableford points to trail leader
Stephen Mitchell by 4 points. On the final day,
with Geoff Mowthorpe as his caddie, he
scored 32 points to narrowly defeat David
Wheatley from Victoria (B3 handicap 36) by
one point on the par-72 South course.
Deanna Minciullo (B2 handicap 36) from WA
won the Ladies Championship, while David
Blyth from Vic won the B1 title, and Graham
Coulton from NSW and Jeff Ellis from Vic won
the B2 and B3 titles respectively. A total of 19
players from five States took part in the event.

With a small upfront payment to meet
administration and affiliation costs, players
are then able to access the course via the
payment of a fee. What is unusual with this
new membership is that it allows full access
to the course and the ability to compete in
normal club competitions, even on Saturdays.

For a payment of $300, players get full
seven-day access to the course, the ability
to compete in club competitions (including
Saturdays), an official Golf Australia Handicap,
full use of the practice facilities, member
pricing in the Clubhouse and Pro Shop, access
to the club’s Reciprocal Club network, and the
ability to invite friends at Member Guest rates.
There is currently no joining fee.

Mills wins 2016 Blind
Golf Victoria Open

timesheets is limited to 14 days in advance,
players are ineligible to win Club Special
Events (Club Championships, Honour Board,
etc), and there are no voting rights. Cost
to play Saturdays is $40 plus Competition
fee, if applicable, while the cost to play all
other days is $27 plus Competition fee, if
applicable.
For a short time the club will waive the
subscription component for the remainder

of the 2015-2016 subscription year (up to
30th June 2016) once payment of the 20162017 subscription is made. So players can
be a member of Oxley Golf Club from now
until June 2017 for only a $300 upfront
payment.
Further details and application forms can
be found on the Oxley Golf Club website,
www.oxleygolfclub.com.au or by phoning
the club on 07 3379 6322. •

Blind golf has 3 sight categories; B1, B2 and
B3 which relate to how much sight a player
has. B1 players are totally blind.
Anyone wishing to learn more about these
sponsorship opportunities, or either playing
blind golf or caddying for a blind golfer may
contact Gary McInnes on 0417 055 731, or
visit www.blindgolf.com.au or
www.internationalblindgolf.com

More ways to
a better gaMe
Available at

1800 656 968 | www.touredge.com
38

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

WORLD FIRST ALIGNMENT DESIGN.
NOW YOU CAN CORRECTLY SETUP FOR
YOUR PUTT OR CHIP EVERY TIME.

The all square alignment setup
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Easier said than done?
The SITELINE clubs are unique in design.
Markers on the upper and lower levels behind
the club’s leading face deliver PnP’s ASVA.
At setup, you’ll know you have achieved the
all square alignment when the ‘white pointer’
(on the lower level) is clearly visible through
the ‘V-Site’ (on the upper level). Fig 1 & 2.
To put it simply, when using the SITELINE
Clubs, your eyes are guided to be positioned
directly above the ball while the ‘white pointer’
is also utilised to assist in setting the target line.

Figure .1
Rear view: Shows when
addressing the stroke,
the ‘White pointer’ on
lower level, should
be 100% visible
through ‘V-Site’
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CLUB OF THE MONTH >

Ballina Golf and Sports Club
David Newbery
david@insidegolf.com.au

B

The club’s 950 members are pleased Tickle
stayed because he and his staff have the golf
course looking a picture.

ALLINA Golf and Sports Club, located
about an hour south of the Gold Coast
and 10 minutes from Ballina Airport, is
a lush green parkland golf course that offers
peaceful vistas of North Creek and lovely
carefully maintained flora.

If your golf ball finds the fairway you are
virtually guaranteed a perfect lie and the
medium-sized Bermuda 328 greens are
perfectly paced and a pleasure to putt on
because there aren’t too many contours or
subtle breaks.

Known as the Garden Course of the
Northern Rivers, Ballina GSC is a traditional
golf club that offers a relaxed atmosphere,
friendly staff and members like Vince
Newman, who was keen for a chat while
carefully negotiating the picturesque 11th
hole that borders North Creek.

“The golf course always presents well and is
one of the better wet-weather courses,” Tickle
said.
“The course drains well and we are able to
get out and cut the fairways shortly after a
rain event.

Vince says he has been a member for 30plus years and never tires of playing the golf
course.

“And because we now have cart paths all
the way around the golf course it means
members and visitors don’t miss out on their
game and that makes them happy.”

“Have a look at this beautiful golf course
and the environment we’re in,” he said when
asked what draws him to the club and
course.

The club’s head professional Colin Edwards
has been at the club for six years and is
assisted in the pro shop by fellow pros Chris
Hawkins and Lachlan Ritson.

“I play three times a week and it’s always
a challenge and, besides, where else would
you rather be.”

“The golf course is in the best condition all
year round of any golf course I have worked
at,” Edwards said.

Not only is the golf course and surrounding
area beautiful, but the climate is perfect for
year-round outdoor activities.

For the A, B or C grade golfer, it’s a good
challenge.

And perhaps best of all, Ballina is one of the
most desirable places to visit … even retire.
For the past three years, Ballina GSC has
been turning over healthy profits courtesy
of the club’s forward-thinking board, general
manager Mark Whiting and his team, club
professional Colin Edwards and course
superintendent of 23 years Wayne Tickle.
When Tickle arrived at the club in 1993, he
thought he would stay in the job for a few
years but new projects on the golf course
kept him more than interested.
40

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

It’s an easy walking course, it’s user friendly
and if you keep the ball on the fairways it’s
not that punishing but if you stray into the
rough or trees which line the fairways it can
be a challenge.
“We also have a number of strategicallyplaced bunkers to catch wayward shots, but
it’s a golf course that won’t beat you to death.”
With four tee positions – blue, white, gold and
red – golfers can choose their own medicine.
The par-72 golf course stretches to 6052m off
the blue tees, 5815m (white) and 5241m (red).

Ballina Golf and Sports Club is extremely
comfortable with what it has to offer, but
it’s not resting on its laurels as it continually
seeks ways to improve services to members
and visitors alike.
“We think the club is a cut above and we
want to remain that way,” Whiting said.
“We (staff ) work hard to achieve this in the
services we offer.
“We are certainly not snobbish – it is a
matter of a standard we set and a standard
we try to repeat.
“The club believes our services and the
environment give people a good reason to
come to our club.”
The clubhouse includes a host of excellent
amenities, including a well-stocked pro shop,
locker rooms, showers, a lounge, dining
facilities and more.
“In recent years, the club has transformed
into a viable entertainment option for
people,” Whiting added.

“Certainly, the people of Ballina have
taken to our club and that’s because of the
constant improvements like changing the
décor, adding new furniture, installing large
TV screens along with numerous other
initiatives.
The club’s restaurant, run by long-term
caterers, is popular with members and the
local community.
“We offer excellent Chinese cuisine as well
as Australian cuisine,” Whiting said. “The food
is exceptional and that’s another reason why
the community supports the club.
“We also have a quality, challenging golf
course, which is always lush and green and
you never get a bad lie.
“Everything you like about golf and a golf
course –the sights, the sounds, the smell, the
flora and fauna – I believe we have at Ballina.
“The course is always in good condition
and it’s enough of a challenge without being
stupidly hard. It’s inviting, enjoyable and

clubs

has nice views on different holes as you go
around the course.”

opportunities, according to professional Col
Edwards.

Ballina golf course has its own version of
“Amen Corner” – three tough, demanding
holes in succession.

“The first hole is a short par-5 (437m from
the white tees), which is reachable in two for
long-hitters,” he said.

“The 14th, 15th and 16th (all par-4s) would
not go astray on any golf course in the world,”
Whiting said.

“The par-5 13th hole (441m) is another birdie
chance. It doglegs right, but for those willing
to have a go it can be rewarding.”

“If your game is in good shape when you
come to the 14th hole make sure you have
a couple of shots in the bank because you
might need them.

The four par-3s are short (138m, 152m,
128m and 110m from the white tees) and
require accuracy to make birdie or par.

“These three holes (index 3, 1 and 5
respectively) are all around the 400m mark
and can rip the heart out of a good round.”
The trio of holes might be brutes, but isn’t
that what golfers crave from a round of golf –
a solid test.
Still, there are plenty of birdie

“You have to put the ball in the right position
on the short holes, especially the 12th and 17th
because they are uphill,” Whiting added.
The practice facilities at Ballina Golf and
Sports Club are adequate and perfect for
golfers keen on honing their short-game skills.
There is a large putting green, an 80m
chipping area and a 130m range.

Currently, the club is investigating the
possibility of extending the driving range
from 130m to full-length.

are best because we have special packages
available. On Thursdays, it’s $30 per person
for 18 holes in a shared golf cart. On Sundays,
we give golfers a burger and chips, 18 holes
of golf in a shared golf cart and that’s only
$50 per person.

Aside from golf, Ballina has beautiful surf
beaches and is a popular fishing destination.
“We also have the hinterland with its
natural parks and waterfalls on our doorstep
and the historical town of Alstonville, which
is popular with tourists,” Whiting said.

“It’s worth going for a drive to discover
something different.

“Since the Pacific Highway has been
upgraded to a dual carriageway road visitors
from Brisbane and the Gold Coast are making
the effort to come and see what Ballina has
to offer.
“From the Gold Coast it’s a quick run so if
golfers want to get out of the city for a day or
a weekend they should not hesitate because
we have a lot to offer.

“We like to think that if someone comes
here to play golf they will definitely come
back again, but golfers need to call the club
and book a tee time.” •

Avondale: More
than a golf club – a
sense of belonging
Bill Colhoun
ed@insidegolf.com.au

W

HEN Sydney’s Avondale Golf Club
was featured as Inside Golf’s Club
of the Month in July last year it
willingly revealed – in an unprecedented
industry move—many of the winning
factors behind its continuing status as one of
Australia’s best private clubs.
In a series of candid insights into how it had
continued to attract new and varied additions
to its 1500-plus membership, Inside Golf
was allowed to observe first-hand and learn
about some of the secrets of success Chief
Executive Officer Paul Paterson and his Board
of Directors have enjoyed, amid difficult times
regarding golf club membership.
One of the major proven strategies Inside
Golf reported was the introduction to the
Club which includes a coffee or unique lunch
interview and a game on the course, which is
offered to anyone making a genuine enquiry
about becoming a new member at Avondale.
Avondale doesn’t hold back in its
enthusiasm in welcoming new members
as the following excerpt from its current
seductive club brochure illustrates:
“To experience all that Avondale has to offer
is unique and only available to members. The
opportunity to join Avondale is one not to be
missed - the 56th ranked course in Australia,

the clubhouse, the service levels and the
facilities in general are all unsurpassed. But
the most compelling reasons to join are the
emotional ones that you can’t touch and on
which you can’t possibly put a value. It’s the
feeling you get every time you arrive, it’s the
friendships you will make, it’s the tranquillity
and relaxation you will experience, and it’s
the sense of belonging. The course and
facilities are what will initially attract you to
the Club, but it’s the emotions that you will
experience that will make you want to stay
forever...”
Inside Golf has interviewed a handful of
relatively new members to reflect on what
it’s like to join this friendly and unique upmarket golf club on Sydney’s Upper North
Shore at Pymble. Their comments on why
they joined Avondale and their experiences
are quite revealing.

Ladies’ beginners program
‘absolutely best way to join’
CAROL
GODDARD is a
new member
in 2016,
graduating
from Avondale’s
very successful
12-months
ladies’
Carol Goddard and Avondale
beginners
Club Pro Mark Paterson.
program.

The offer is for a year of weekly lessons on
playing golf and learning the nuances of the
game for $1000, which is deducted from their
membership fees if they join Avondale.
The lessons consisted of a monthly group
sessions from club professionals Mark and
Ben and weekly on-course tuition and rules
from a walker from the Ladies’ Committee
while playing six, nine and building up to 12
holes over the course of that year.
Goddard had the super incentive of joining
her husband Stuart and daughters Sophie,
Emily and Stephanie in playing at Avondale.
Stuart plays off single figures, Sophie and
Emily also are playing members and Stephanie,
who has special needs, has a unique
connection in that she attends Avondale
weekly for golf lessons with Special Olympics.

go for a coffee instead, but eventually we
became hooked and used to cry if it was
raining, because we wanted to play.
“Remarkably all of the 12 ladies in our
2014/15 group actually joined the club and
we have become really good friends. We
meet for social dinners and have a Christmas
get-together each year.
“Our beginners’ group ladies tend to
play together a lot, not because we are
cliquey, but just that we all feel comfortable,
understand each other’s game and are
always forgiving.
“I’m off a 44 handicap but we are not
playing a lot of 18-hole competitions, we
mostly play 12 holes on Mondays and are just
easing into the 18s.

Goddard played golf briefly with occasional
lessons when she met Stuart, who was a
member at Asquith, before having her children.

“I would like to say that doing the Ladies’
clinic at Avondale for a year was absolutely
brilliant and personally was the best way to
join the Club.

About 20 years later in 2014, she decided
to get involved in golf by way of Avondale’s
women’s beginners program.

“For a beginner it is a fabulous introduction
to golf, the Avondale club and everyone in
the club. I highly recommend it.”

“I found myself at the club almost daily as
Sophie was practising, Emily was attending
school golf lessons and Stephanie for Special
Olympics. I decided to sign up for the
beginners’ program along with a girlfriend,
who was a non-playing member,” she said.
“When it first started we used to pray that
it would rain each Monday so that we could

Finally frustration-free and
happy -- on and off course
RAYMOND NOHRA, who joined in November,
formerly was a frustrated member of three
clubs in the past five years until he was
advised by customers at his menswear shop
in Crows Nest to join their club, Avondale.

clubs
and I’m glad they did because now I’m loving
it . . . I just wish I was better at it.”
Mooney probably should have come to golf
a lot sooner as his wife Sue and her mother,
father and brothers are long-term Avondale
members, but he was busy as a keen skier, a
sailor, a rower and a devoted daily runner.
However, now in a regular routine with
two lessons a week from Avondale Assistant
PGA Pro Ben, he knows he is progressing and
importantly has been bitten by the golf bug.
His initial golf
membership
experiences in
recent years
were markedly
different.
After seriously
taking up golf
six years ago
he joined
Raymond Nohra has found
Northbridge
good golf and good mates.
with friends
but, after four years as his golf improved, he
yearned to play a championship course.

more people on the golf course than I did in the
12 months as a member at my previous club.

At the same time he was a social member
and lived near a club with a better course,
but several enquiries about joining as a
playing member were met with no response.

“Off the course Avondale is on its own –
everyone, staff and members have been so
friendly my wife and family love going to the
club anytime. The welcoming lunch by Paul is
a credit to him and the club as it sets a good
friendly tone which has continued.

However his decision to check out
Avondale – heightened after enjoying
playing the course on an invitation day –
solved all of his frustrations.
“As soon as I made enquiries at Avondale
it was completely different. The CEO Paul
Paterson rang me back and invited me to
lunch and a game of golf and within eight
weeks I was a member,” Nohra said.
“Since I joined it is the best thing I’ve ever
done. I was a bit nervous to start as there are
no timesheets so I just turned up for a game
and the guy in the pro shop lined me up with
a group and they were really welcoming.
“In the first three months at Avondale I met

“In a couple of months at Avondale I not
only made a lot of golf friends, my wife and I
went to about eight dinners at the clubhouse
and we especially enjoyed the friendly Friday
night barbecues. Plus I’ve got a 14-year-old
son and he is going to join as a junior.”
“I had been impressed playing Avondale
at an open day last year. The fairways and
greens were fantastic and I thought the only
course that I had played, which was as good,
was The Australian.

MICHAEL
MOONEY
decided to
finally take the
golf plunge at
Avondale in
2015. Despite
having no realgolf experience
and after
Michael Mooney and his
suffering a few
wife Sue.
health problems,
he began with Avondale’s unique and
popular “Learn to play golf in a week”
program, which provides five group lessons
over the course of a week and covers all
aspects of the game. The week ends with
a boutique beer tasting and a gourmet
barbecue.

“Golfwise I’m really looking forward to taking
advantage of the reciprocal playing rights at
other clubs, particularly at Kingston Heath in
Melbourne, where I travel to quite often.

“When I first set out to play at Avondale I was
an almost absolute pure golf virgin. In all of my
66 years I believe I played only three rounds
(if you could call them that) so I thought I
might have left my run too late,” he said.

“Since I have told some of my golf mates, who
are members at another Division One club,
about the reciprocal playing rights at Avondale,
four or five are thinking of joining here because
of the interstate golf weekends options and
international playing opportunities.”

“My first foray into the weekly beginners
class (in January 2015) had to be delayed
until November after I broke my arm very
badly in a skiing accident. I then contracted
pneumonia which put me back again until
early this year.

‘Golf virgin’ seduced by club’s
passion for enjoying the game

“Even though I had drifted in and out of
the beginners classes, the Avondale staff
persisted with me and kept encouraging me

“Ben assures me that I’m making progress
and I feel like I am. I just wish there was more
consistency in my game,” Mooney said.
“Like skiing, when it’s just such a lovely
feeling to get in a good turn, in golf it
is similar when you hit a sweet shot as
intended.
“With Sue I’ve always enjoyed the social
aspect of being a member at Avondale and
have met some terrific guys.
“Sue and I are looking forward to travelling
to all of the terrific clubs around Australia
and the world, with which Avondale has
reciprocal playing rights.
“As a beginner golfer at Avondale I really
have been impressed with the people there.
They have been very warm, welcoming and
engaging and the club’s enthusiasm for the
game is inspiring.”
These three successful examples candidly
illustrate that Avondale’s quietly wellorganised multi-faceted new-member
strategies still are working well.
They not only attract potential new
members, but almost without fail entice
them to become part of one of Sydney’s most
fulfilling golf memberships. •
For more information:
Phone: (02) 9449 6455 or visit
www.avondalegolfclub.com.au

ASQUITH GOLF CLUB

5, 6 & 7 Day Playing Memberships Available NOW!
Championship 18 hole golf course in a peaceful bushland setting
Intermediate Age Categories (18-23), (24-29), (30-34) - Up to 70% Off Full Membership Fee!
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SPECIAL OFFER FOR NEW MEMBERS: Up to 14 months for 12 months
New Members who join between 1 May 2016 and 30 June 2016
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onstruction is underway at
Cranbrook Residences, an innovative
luxury lifestyle development
enjoying a prime position overlooking the
championship golf course at Castle Hill
Country Club.

More than 50 per cent of the designer
apartments at Cranbrook Residences
Bella Vista have already been sold, with
local baby boomers giving the nod to the
development’s high-end, holistic approach to
retirement living – and its magnificent views
over the award-winning par-72 golf course.
Owned and operated by multi-awardwinning leader in aged care, Cranbrook
Care, the new face of retirement living in The
Hills District will deliver a luxurious home
environment alongside attractive lifestyle
benefits in response to retirees’ heightened
expectations for independent seniors living.
“As the first baby boomers hit 70, we’re
noticing increasing demand for a new
breed of elegant retirement living options,”
explained Ms Kerry Mann, CEO of Cranbrook
Care. “With the number of Australians aged
over 65 to almost double to more than 6.4
million by 2035 , it’s vital we adapt to address
the needs of a generation looking to enjoy a
long and more active retirement.
“As a result, selecting ideal locations for
our developments is critical, with today’s
retirees focused upon proximity to leisure
activities and lifestyle services, as well as onsite recreation,” added Ms Mann. “Cranbrook
Residences Bella Vista ticks all of the boxes,
with panoramic windows overlooking the
lush fairways of the world-class golf course,
and 167 acres of open fairways adding to
the natural, tranquil ambience of the entire
development, while local parks, hospitals,
churches, the Castle Hill shopping district

and future Norwest Train Station and
Business Park are all just minutes away.”
Equal footing is given to the provision of
high-quality housing and the social and
recreational needs of retirees at Cranbrook
Residences Bella Vista, which is being built in
two distinct stages.
Stage One, which is well underway, includes
construction of 24 low-maintenance, petfriendly, independent living apartments with
emergency response monitoring, offered
in a range of configurations from one to
three-bedrooms, with prices starting from
$575,000.
Plans are in progress for the project’s
state-of-the-art on-site wellness centre,
Reflections, which will be home to a hair and
beauty salon, gym, hydrotherapy pool and
consulting suite for visiting doctors.
“Stage Two, scheduled to commence later
this year, will include a purpose-built cinema,
library, fitness centre, arts and crafts room

and pontoon on
the pond, while
the contemporary
Waterlily Café
will occupy a
prime position
overlooking a
central courtyard
to encourage
plenty of social
interaction with
residents, family and friends,” explained Ms
Mann.
For the daylight hours not spent on the golf
course, landscaped outdoor entertaining
areas, including BBQ facilities and The Green
provide ample opportunity to enjoy the
outdoors, while a children’s play area will
keep grandchildren entertained for hours.
For more information:
call Joanne on (02) 9672 6866,
www.cranbrookresidences.com.au,
contact@cranbrookresidences.com.au •

More Than a World
Class Golf Course
Twin Creeks is the perfect place to mix business
with pleasure.
Whether you’re looking for exclusive golf
membership, to host a corporate or social event
or for a new dining experience, then let us show
you why Twin Creeks Golf & Country Club is
becoming Western Sydney’s ultimate venue.
Corporate Golf & Conferences
Contact Mariela Kalfic +61 2 9670 8867
marielak@twincreeks.com.au
Weddings & Functions
Contact Lauren Wilson +61 2 9670 8866
laurenw@twincreeks.com.au
Membership
Contact Karina Taylor +61 2 9670 8863
membership@twincreeks.com.au

44

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

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architecture

Northern unveils a trio of new holes
Henry Peters

ed@insidegolf.com.au
@hsspeters

N

orthern Golf Club has unveiled
its three brand-new holes and
announced a vision for a drastically
improved water supply and long-term master
plan of its course and clubhouse.
Members teed off Northern’s new Thomson
Perrett-designed eighth, ninth and 10th
holes on April 16.
“Nine and 10 are brand-new holes, which
are rated three and one,” said Northern
General Manager Charles Potter. “Eight,
which was a par-four, we’ve decided to make
a par-five.”
The eighth has been extended for men
from 390m to a 465m par-five to give the
new 5965m course a par of 72.
The ninth has changed from a 484m par-five
to a 385m par-four while the previous 400m
par-four 10th has been stretched to 411m and
is now Northern’s number one rated hole.
The changes have also toughened the
women’s par-72 layout and bumped its slope
rating from 119 to 123 while the men’s slope
has climbed from 123 to 126.
“The members have had probably eight
months of eight par-threes, from a par-72
down to a par-65 and 63 at times with many
temporary greens. The new holes were out
of play so we had to find three more holes,”
Potter remarked.
The overhaul has extended to the former
ninth hole, which has been turned into
Northern’s new practice range complete with

target greens while the club’s putting green
and chipping area have been fully renovated.

our southwest corner. There’s a lot happening
but there’s a lot more about to happen.”

Five-time Open Champion Peter Thomson
- who grew up in Melbourne’s north - visited
Northern in March to see Thomson Perrett’s
changes taking shape.

In 2014, Moreland City Council bought
a parcel of land from Northern bordering
Glenroy Road, which had previously been
used as the club’s practice fairway.

“The board has also decided to do a course
master plan through Thomson Perrett,”
Potter said. “It would be a 20-year master
plan we’re looking at and clubhouse refit,
that’s in its infancy. I think there’s been four
or five different master plans over the last 30
years at Northern. We’re also in the throes of
putting in an extra hole, a 19th hole, up in

Northern’s old practice range wasn’t long
enough to allow the use of drivers and
fairways woods. It also posed a safety risk
to motorists in a built-up area and has since
been turned into green space.
Proceeds from the land sale have allowed
Northern to more than double its water
supply.

“We invested in a brand-new 10 megalitre
dam that’s at the back of the 10th green and
we also have another water resource dam inbetween the third and the 15th. That’s what’s
being positioned right now. We’re now taking
out the island that was there and making
that a 10 megalitre dam. From 29 useable
megalitres of water, this winter, we’ll have
60 megalitres worth of water.”
Northern also installed a new irrigation
system in early 2016.
“That now means our watering system is
33 per cent more efficient and much easier
to manage.” •

There is no better time to play a round
at Gordon. We are the most accessible
golf course in Sydney where social play
is available 7 days a week!
Mention this ad and receive
a burger and beer special after your
round on a weekend for just $12.
For a limited time only!!
For an additional golfing offer, go to our
website www.gordongolfclub.com.au

Celebrating its 80th year
Gordon Golf Club is alive and well and looking forward to the next 80 years!

• Membership available from just
$25 per week.
• Receive $100 extra bar credit if you
mention this ad

architecture

‘Green Monster’ opens at Warrnambool Golf Club

V

ICTORIA’S Warrnambool Golf Club has
been climbing up the Australian golf
course rankings in recent times, and
for good reason: years of hard work by the
ground staff, as well as great organisation
by the club’s management team, has seen it
become a “must play” layout, and one of Inside
Golf’s favourite courses along the Great Ocean
Road region.
The club recently worked its way into a
financial position to make use of the valuable
services of the Thomson Perrett design team.
Thomson Perrett has made impressive
changes to the 4th and 5th holes of the
club, as well as the construction of a muchimproved 10th green complex. On the 4th and
5th hole, sand scaring was created to enhance
the dune complex that the holes are laid over.
The improvement in these holes then led to
the club naming the run of holes 4, 5 and 6 as
“Shipwreck Bend”, linking the course into the
famed local Shipwreck Coast area.

A few months after this work was completed,
Thomson Perrett started a design for new
10th green complex. The 10th was a very
strong par-5 with a beautifully undulating
tree-lined fairway, but it had a small green
with limited pin positions. The new design
included removing the scrub behind the
green, dropping the green nearly two meters
to create a better backing, increasing the size
of the green, adding in a ridge through the
green and the addition of the a small revetted
bunker. Construction of the new complex
commenced immediately following the club
championships in October. A local contractor
was used to start the deconstruction of the old
green, and McMahons were used to construct
and shape the new complex with the help of
ground staff and David Flood from Thomson
Perrett. The construction was completed in
the first week of November and ground staff
seeded the green and surrounds thereafter.
The green was seeded with a New Zealand

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SIMPLE SYSTEM THAT WORKS

Browntop bent grass called Arrowtown;
chosen for its ability to grow and thrive in
cool climates with low fertiliser inputs and
a resistance to weed infestation. The green
has now been given a good grow-in period
and was set to open last month. The hole
is now a much stronger par-5, with a green
complex and bunker that matches the long
undulating tree-lined fairway. The hole has
been enhanced greatly by the work that has
been done and local golfers and members are
growing excited (and nervous) about having
to take on the newly-named “The Green
Monster”.
“Thomson Perrett has enjoyed an
involvement with the Warrnambool Golf
Club since 1989 and have forged many close
friendships,” said Ross Perrett, Thomson Perrett
Managing Director. “The Club’s philosophy of
continual improvement is very positive and
will ensure a sustainable future.” •

Lefty Trevor fires
up in NZ
AUSTRALIAN left-handed golfer Trevor
Wesener, who plays out of Nambour Golf
Club in Queensland, slipped across the ditch
recently and returned a winner.
Wesener took out the New Zealand
Left Handed Golf Association’s Division 4
(handicaps 18.9 to 26.2) at the New Zealand
national titles played at Ohope International
Golf Club in the Bay of Plenty.
He returned a winning score of 274 to
finish 11 shots ahead of Kiwi Richard Davison
and capped the trip off by also winning the
best nett (134) for the final two rounds.
The tournament, open to men and women,
was played in four divisions as well as seniors
and super seniors.
With a score of 299, Martyn Price won the
Bruce Poole Trophy for the best gross while
the Bob Charles Trophy for the best nett
went to Mark Western with a score of 273.
The Australian team retained the Andrew
Fenemor Cup.
Meanwhile, the upcoming Australian
national left-handed titles will be played at
RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast
from October 9-14.
The 72-hole championship is open to men
and women lefties. Played in three grades,
the championship has a veterans’ section
(55-69 years of age) and super seniors (70+
years).
To download an entry form, go to
www.lefthandedgolfaustralia.com
International nominations are starting
to flood in so be quick if you want to
participate.
For the record, right-handed partners and
guests of lefties are welcome to enter in the
daily stableford events.

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Or call Linz on 1300 025 939
or email enquiries@icerays.com.au to order yours now.
www.insidegolf.com.au | May 2016

47

new gear

>NEW
GEAR

Cobra Golf
King Utility 3-Iron
Cobra Golf introduces the KING Utility Iron, the brand’s
first adjustable hollow body utility iron that offers multiple loft
settings in a single club.
The KING Utility Iron provides the feel and performance of an
iron, combined with the forgiveness and slightly higher flight of a
hybrid. The club’s 17-4 hollow body design and a new 455ss L-Cup Face,
combined with its 67 gram tungsten weight strategically positioned
low and back in the head, deliver optimal Centre of Gravity (CG) high MOI,
increased speed and higher launch.
A first for COBRA and a first for golf, the MyFly8 proprietary technology affords golfers
an ability to fine-tune their designed launch conditions from a
3-iron at 21o down to a 2 iron at 18o.
RRP
RRP
Available in RH only. Loft range: 18o, 18.5o, 18.5o draw, 19.5o, 19.5o
draw, 21.5o, 21.5o draw and 22o.

TEE CLAW
Play better golf from synthetic turf
surfaces: With Tee Claw, golfers can
use any sized tee from anywhere on a
synthetic mat, replacing the old fixedposition rubber tube.

Find-A-Ball golf
glasses
Find-A-Ball golf glasses are designed to block
out the majority of light, creating a clever
way of locating your white or yellow balls
easily. The specially tinted, UV coated lenses
filter out foliage and grass, enabling the ball
to stand out.

The Find-A-Ball glasses come complete with
a moulded zip up case that can clip onto your
bag and a cleaning cloth.
www.golfscene.com.au
1300 852 433

Elastic lanyards bring additional value
as it provides golfers with a visual
aid for correct swing path and foot
alignment, replacing bulky alignment
rods. The Tee Claw delivers an easy,
consistent and realistic transition from
practice sessions to the course for
golfers of all levels.
The Tee Claw also grips real turf with
ease and has endless uses as alignment
and training aids. A variety of colours
are available.
Receive 20% off with code
INSIDEGOLF20
www.golf2aus.com.au

RRP
$29.95

BUNKERSTAMP
By David Golf

A full suite of Pro Golf IQ!
(A value of $495)!

N
I
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One of the most exciting, game-improving products
ever tested by Inside Golf, The acclaimed Pro Golf IQ
mind-coaching program consists of a series of audio training sessions that you listen to on
your favourite computer/device, in the comfort of your own home. The system teaches you
how to get both the left AND right sides of your brain working together when on the course,
which is critical to playing like a pro.
Inside Golf and Pro Golf IQ are giving away 40 sets of the full Pro Golf IQ suite, including the
main five-week program, Enforcer, Putting IQ, Driving IQ and Pitching IQ. RRP: $495.
To enter, simply visit www.insidegolf.com.au/competitions

Bunkerstamp is a new and exclusive product
to David Golf.
It is a quick and unique way to deliver
a message to golfers. It takes just a few
seconds to create an impression, which
under normal weather conditions will remain
intact, with very little deterioration during
the course of the day.
Bunkerstamp is a light polymer rubber
mould that when placed in a bunker or sand
bin will leave a crisp custom message or logo
behind for your golfers to view.
Application is easy. Simply rake the area,
place the mould into the sand, step on the
mould to apply even pressure across the
entire back of the mould. Then using the
built-in rear handles, you lift the mould
away from the sand, leaving a perfect image
behind.
Bunkerstamp is available in two sizes:
300mm x 450mm or 300mm x 600mm.
1300 790 890
davidgolf.com.au
dge@davidgolf.com.au

48

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

$289.00
steel

$319.00
GRAPHITE

new gear

Garmin: Approach® G10, Approach® S20 and
TruSwing™

The Approach G10 is a sleek, pocket-sized
golf GPS device that fits almost anywhere.
Compact, lightweight and user-friendly, the
Approach G10 comes preloaded with data
for more than 40,000 courses right out of the
box, with no additional fees or subscriptions.
The G10 measures precise distances to the
front, back and middle of the green in large,
easy to read numbering on a 1.3” sunlight
readable display.

to Garmin Connect account for post-round
analysis. Additionally, the S20 can be paired
with the new TruSwing.

Stylish, sleek and lightweight, the
Approach S20 GPS golf watch boasts
the new AutoShot round analyser feature,
which automatically records the location
and distance of every shot and uploads it

OGIO Silencer
OGIO Silencer features 14 individual
compartments that allow for a variety of
club configurations. Each compartment
has a protective membrane at the top that
centres and gently holds the club shaft. The
compression-fit bottom securely holds the
club grip and keeps it from moving and
spinning. The result is incredible protection
for your club shafts and heads combined
with Silencing technology that greatly
minimises the annoying sound of clanking
clubs. Less clanks and less
dings will extend the look
of your new clubs!

Available in both stand and cart bag
options.

Garmin’s TruSwing is the company’s
first golf club sensor accessory. The small,
lightweight and easy-to-use sensor measures
the swing metrics golfers need to improve
their game, providing the information they
need to improve their swing within seconds.

WE TRIED IT!>

DeChambeau
signs with
Cobra Puma,
Bridgestone

Golfers across Australia may recognise the
name Volvik from the brand’s successful
association with the RACV Ladies Masters. And
while the brand may not yet be a household
name for male golfers here in Australia,
Volvik is one of the golf industry’s fastestgrowing names, and it has made significant
in-roads into the world’s professional tours.
Over 70 professionals from various men’s and
ladies tours across the globe (Web.com Tour,
Champions Tour, LPGA Tour, Symetra Tour
and the LET) are using Volvik’s ultra highperformance colour golf balls. It has also
turned heads at multiple PGA Shows
in Orlando. Suffice to say, the company
knows golf balls.

COBRA PUMA GOLF, a leader in golf
equipment, apparel, accessories and
footwear, has announced a long-term
partnership with Bryson DeChambeau the
22-year-old phenomenon who last year
became only the fifth golfer ever to win the
NCAA Men’s Individual Championship and
the U.S. Amateur in the same calendar year.

Last month, Inside Golf gave the 4-piece
Vista iV golf ball a test-drive across
multiple rounds, and we were quite
impressed with their overall performance.
The first thing we noticed is just how bright these balls are. We can comfortably say that
they are among the most highly-visible balls we’ve ever tested. Whether it was sunny,
overcast or in the evening’s fading light, the balls were extremely easy to see from a great
distance. And that’s a good thing because these balls also happen to fly a really long way.
We’re talking serious distance. The length is due in part to the ball’s dual core (a soft outer
layer and a hard inner core), which help launch the ball off the tee. It is also extremely
durable, courtesy of the Zirconium Z-III cover.
But don’t think of this as a “Distance” ball. On the contrary, there is plenty of feel in this 95
compression ball. Around the greens, the Volvik shines (in colour as well as performance).
We witnessed some amazing spin and workability in the short irons, and we found our
approach shots consistently finding the pin (one shot from 110m even found the bottom
of the cup!). Putting was a dream, with a soft and responsive feel off the putterface, and a
satisfying “click” when struck.
The ball played so well that our Editor even shot one of his best rounds in years! That’s
probably not a coincidence.

So if you’re looking for a golf ball that ticks all the boxes without sacrifice
(and adds a bit of colour to your game), then we highly recommend you
give the Volvik Vista iV a test drive of your own.

Contact your local Drummond Golf,
House of Golf, Golf Box or Power Golf
for more information

RRP
$69.95
DOZ

DeChambeau will be wearing PUMA
Golf apparel, accessories and footwear
during all his on-course play, incorporating
his signature Hogan Driver Cap and Red,
White & Blue ensemble on Sundays,
a nod to his alma mater – Southern
Methodist University. Additionally, he will
fill his COBRA staff bag with COBRA Golf
equipment during tournament play.
“I believe that I found the perfect
partner in COBRA PUMA GOLF,” said
DeChambeau. “The COBRA and PUMA
brands complement my style, attitude and
desire to be innovative, while allowing me
to continue to be myself, and think outside
the box. I’m really thrilled to be part of this
cutting-edge and creative company.”

What’s in the Bag for DeChambeau:
Driver: Cobra King F6+ Pro 7o
3-wood: Cobra King F6 14.2o
Utility: KING Utility Iron 18.5o
Irons: Cobra King Forged MB Custom irons
(3, 5-PW, with KBS C-Taper Lite 115 X shafts)
are all 37½ inches long. Each head weighs
280 grams and has a lie angle of 73.5
degrees.
Wedges: Cobra King V Grind 50°, 55° and 60°
Throughout the rest of the 2016 golf
season, DeChambeau will be rocking
footwear and apparel from PUMA Golf’s
Autumn, Winter ’16 collection including the
new family of IGNITE footwear.
In addition, DeChambeau also announced
he would be using a Bridgestone B330S
golf ball.
While an amateur, DeChambeau has
been no stranger to golf’s biggest events,
competing against the best players in the
world around the globe. In November,
DeChambeau tied for second at the
Australian Masters after firing a closing 67.
He followed that up in January by making
the cut in all three of the European Tour
events he played in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and
Dubai. Last month he earned the Silver
Cup honour for Low Amateur at the 2016
Masters.
www.insidegolf.com.au | May 2016

HE calibre of golf I play doesn’t
turns heads, but there was plenty of
rubbernecking at Ashgrove Golf Club
in Brisbane when I took the recently released
single-person golf ride-on from Active
Scooters for a test drive.
Virtually every golfer within cooee wanted a
closer look at the four-wheeled single-person
golf cart that zips along at an impressive 20
kilometres per hour.
That’s the top speed but if you switch the
“vehicle” to low gear and you cruise along at
10kph.
The first thing I noticed was the seat is
nicely elevated making it easy to climb
aboard or alight.
I did find that the simple-to-use throttle
required a little getting used to because as
soon as you release the throttle the machine
stops quite quickly.

to climb the steepest fairway without too
much effort.

I found the ride comfortably smooth
courtesy of an independent suspension on
the body and another on the leather seat.
Perhaps the biggest advantage with the
single-person golf buggy is you can focus
on your own game and go directly to your
golf ball rather than worrying about your
partner’s game.
There’s a conveniently-located scorecard
holder, an umbrella holder for rainy days, a
sand bucket holder and a drink holder and
there’s the option of placing the golf bag on
the front or rear.
There’s even a basket for an esky or other
accessories.
How often do I have to recharge the battery
I hear you ask?
Well, the 75Ah battery has a range of 50
kilometres before there is a need to recharge.
That’s more than eight rounds of golf on a
6000m golf course.

But before I had reached the first green I
had the handle of it and it was smooth sailing
after that.

If you need more than 50kms to get around
the course then there is definitely something
wrong with your golf game.

With the simple flick of a switch, I was able
to reverse in and out of tight spots and the
powerful 1300w motor allows the machine

Oh, and the vehicle is golf course friendly.
The turf tyres are low impact and that means
the superintendent will be your best friend.

DRIVING GOLFERS: Active Scooters CEO John Messenger shows off the single-person “golf cart”.
The UK-designed single-seater even fits
in the back of a station wagon because the
body is collapsible and the seat comes off.
All that’s needed is a set of ramps to roll it in
or out of the car.
Melbourne’s Darren Money said he was
delighted with his single-seater golf cart.
“It’s fantastic and runs really well,” he said.
“I’m very happy with it and I believe it’s the
‘Rolls-Royce’ of single ride-on carts.
“I bought it because I don’t want to tow a
trailer around.
“I have a ute and a couple of aluminium
ramps and can get it off the ute before most
people get their golf bag and buggy set up
and it takes up very little space in the garage.

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“The other thing I like about it is I don’t
have to recharge the battery after every
round. And after a round of golf I’m still as
fresh as a daisy.”
The ride-on comes with a two-year
warranty on the frame and a 12-month
warranty on everything else.
Available in four fashionable colours – red,
blue, green and black – the single-seater golf
cart is a lot of fun and, seriously, it turns heads.
It’s available from Brisbane-based
company Active Scooters, which distributes
throughout Australia. •
For more information, call
1800-554-827 or visit the website
www.activescooters.com.au

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50

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

rules

What’s the Rule?

The role of
the marker
Frank Gal

Chairman of Rules Committee
Golf NSW

A

marker has an important role to play
in stroke play. However, many golfers
assume that if the marker incorrectly
says that a player may follow a certain
procedure then the player should not be
penalized because their marker said it was OK.
The Rules define a marker as “one who is
appointed by the Committee to record a
competitor’s score in stroke play. He may be a
fellow-competitor. He is not a referee.”
The marker’s role is to record the correct
scores for the player whose card they are
marking. This does not make them the sole
arbiter for any rulings involving the player.
To record the scores correctly, the marker
should question the player if in doubt in
relation to the player’s score on a hole. The
doubt may be about the number of strokes
taken or possible penalties incurred by the
player. It is not unusual for a marker to query
a player’s score on completion of a hole if
the marker feels that the score stated by the
player is incorrect.
If a player asks their marker for a ruling and
it turns out to be incorrect, it simply means

they were both incorrect, and the player will
be subject to any appropriate penalties. So, if
anyone comments that a procedure agreed
by a player and marker may be incorrect, the
player is obligated to check the doubtful point
with the Committee before putting in their
scorecard.
This is clearly spelled out in Decision
34-1b/1.5 as follows:
Q. In stroke play, A, in ignorance of the Rules
and with the concurrence of B, his marker,
removed a stone from a water hazard when
his ball lay in the hazard. Subsequently,
A was advised by C, a fellow-competitor,
that he (A) was in breach of Rule 13-4. A
disagreed, failed to settle the doubtful
point with the Committee at the end of the
round and returned his score card without
including a two-stroke penalty for a breach
of Rule 13-4.
After the competition had closed, C
advised the Committee of the incident.
Should A be disqualified?
es. Rule 34-1b says in effect that a
A. Y
competitor must be disqualified after the
competition has closed if he had returned
a score, failing to include a penalty which,
before the competition closed, he knew he
had incurred. As C pointed out to A that he
had proceeded incorrectly and A took no

action to check whether he had incurred
a penalty before returning his card, A
is deemed to have known that he had
incurred a penalty.
The responsibility of the marker to record
the correct score should not be taken
lightly. A marker should be disqualified for
knowingly signing for an incorrect score and
/or knowingly agreeing not to apply a Rule of
Golf (see Decisions 1-3/6 and 6-6a/5).
Fellow-competitors who are not markers
also face a great responsibility if they witness
a breach of the Rules in a competition. This
is outlined in Decision 33-7/9 which advises
that:
“The responsibility for knowing the Rules
lies with all players. In stroke play, the player
and his marker have an explicit responsibility
for the correctness of the player’s score card.

There may, however, be exceptional
individual cases where, in order to protect
the interests of every other player in the
competition, it would be reasonable to
expect a fellow-competitor or another
competitor to bring to light a player’s breach
of the Rules by notifying the player, his
marker or the Committee.
In such exceptional circumstances, it
would be appropriate for the Committee to
impose a penalty of disqualification under
Rule 33-7 on a fellow-competitor or another
competitor if it becomes apparent that he
has failed to advise the player, his marker or
the Committee of a Rules breach with the
clear intention of allowing that player to
return an incorrect score.”
Photo: Thanks to Vytas Levickis and John
Corner from The Eastern Golf Club

www.insidegolf.com.au | May 2016

51

senior amateurs
This gave the ADFGA an overall winning
score of 13.5 matches to 10.5 matches and
they reclaimed the title that the Golf Australia
team had won in 2015.

SENIOR Amateur WRAP
With Denis Dale
ed@insidegolf.com.au

NATIONAL

Golf Australia vs ADFGA
Each year, a Golf Australia Senior Team
contests a match against the Australian
Defence Forces team. The event is played
over two days, with foursomes and four-ball
matches on day one, and singles matches on
day two. This year the venue was once again
The National Golf Club with all games played
on the Ocean Course.
Day one began with warm weather and
just enough wind to make the players focus
on every shot. As always The National was
presented in wonderful condition. After the
fourball and foursomes matches the scores
were Golf Australia 6.5 points and the ADFGA
5.5 points giving the Golf Australia team a
one-point lead.
Day two saw twelve individual matches
played in very strong winds coming from
the opposite direction to day one. At times
the winds gusted to almost gale force
providing a real test for all the players. It was
the younger and stronger ADF players who
handled the tough conditions best winning
the singles day by 8 matches to 4 matches.

NSW

Veterans Strokeplay Championship
Twin Creeks golfer Denis Dale (71-7272=215) won the 2016 NSW Veteran’s
Strokeplay Championship. He completed
the 54-hole tournament played on three
different courses with a par round of 72 on
the Stonecutter’s Ridge course.
Dale had led the defending champion Colin
Kenning (Kiama 72-73-81=226) by one stroke
after an opening round of 71 at the Richmond
Golf Club. He increased it to a two-stroke lead
after the second round when he recorded
an even-par score of 72 at Penrith. With his
par round on the final day at Stonecutter’s
Ridge he had led all the way and eventually
won the title by ten strokes. Dale did struggle
early in his final round but finished strongly
being four under par for the final ten holes.
Second place went to Penrith senior David
Limbach (75-77-73=225) who carded a final
round 73 that saw him edge out Col Kenning
for the runner-up prize. Limbach’s golf on the
final day was exceptional and could easily
have been much lower if the birdie putts had
dropped. Kenning finished in third place in a
very good attempt to make it a total of five
NSW Vet’s Championships. His record of four
titles is still a very impressive one.
Dale received a replica of the Des Coady
Shield for his win plus the winner’s prize. He
also had the rare achievement of recording
the best round on every day of the three-day
competition.
Each individual daily event also
accumulated points for the 2016 NSW Senior
Order of Merit competition. Dale received the
maximum available points each day and now
takes over the lead from Stefan Albinski in
this year-long competition.

Pennant Hills Seniors
A good field of 59 senior golfers were
rewarded with a beautifully presented course
52

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

2016 Golf Australia Seniors and the ADFGA
teams at The National Golf Club.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Royal Perth Senior Amateur

West Australian Dennis Warburton was
the winner of the inaugural Royal Perth
Senior Open played over 36 holes on this
traditional and challenging golf course.
Royal Perth member John Banting held
the overnight lead with his opening round
of 74 while Warburton was a stroke behind
with his score of 75. In a close finish
Warburton’s rounds of 75-75 for a 36-hole
total of 150 were just enough to edge out
Banting (74-77=151) and Neville Delane
(80-71-151) by a single stroke. Neville
Delane had the round of the tournament
with his closing 71 that saw him almost
snatch a dramatic win.
and an even better day for the playing of the
2016 Pennant Hills Seniors Cup.
The overall winner was Concord senior
Grant Wilson with an even par round of 71.
The four-marker played some great golf and
was a two shot winner from a group of three
golfers on 73 - Richard Greville (Magenta
Shores), Greg Wilson (Pennant Hills) and
Denis Dale (Twin Creeks).

Gungahlin Lakes Seniors
50 senior men enjoyed another great day
at the Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club. Local
member Les Molloy was the winner with
an excellent round of two-over-par 74. He
defeated Gold Creek’s Bill Banks who finished
with a score of 78 and Grange senior Ward
Hummerston third on 79.

Royal Sydney Seniors
A highlight of the NSW Senior Order of
Merit competition every year is the Royal
Sydney Invitational Senior Medal. The field
is restricted to the Top 40 performers on the
Order of Merit table from the previous year
plus additional invitees.
Royal Sydney was in wonderful condition
although the rough was certainly more
demanding than usual as the club begins the
year-long preparation for the 2016 Australian
Open to be played at this iconic course later
this year.

For Golf Australia the two debutant women
performed very well. Queenslander Josie
Ryan finished with 2 points and Australia’s
top-rated senior woman Jacqui Morgan
earned1.5 points from their three matches.
Bronwyn Mullins represented the ADFGA
very well earning two valuable points for her
team. Simon Bracegirdle was undefeated for
the GA team while Rod Smylie matched this
feat for the ADF.

West Australian Senior Amateur
Championship
Paul Chappell and Sharon Dawson were
the winners of the 2016 WA Senior Amateur
Championships played at Melville Glades
Golf Club.
After a blistering opening round of
two-under-par 70, Chappell finished a
comfortable 6-shot winner. His rounds of 7075-75 proved he is definitely a new senior
golfer to watch when he travels to the
eastern states for more senior tournaments.
Chappell defeated Australia’s current number
one ranked senior Victorian Greg Rhodes
who was consistent with his rounds of 75-7576. West Australian John Banting was another
stroke away in third place after his rounds of
76-75-76.
and only bogies on the final four holes
stopped a very impressive round. Runnerup went to the consistent Ken Brewer
from Concord with his round of 79. Brewer
also reported letting a few slip away late
in his round. Next on “even par” 80 were
Mark Pearson (Mona Vale), Peter Stephens
(Concord) and Rick Allison (Camden Valley).

Bonnie Doon Seniors
Denis Dale continued his recent string of
victories in NSW Senior Order of Merit events
with a win in the 2016 Bonnie Doon Senior
Amateur Cup. This event is always played on
Easter Monday and this year attracted a field
of over 60 senior golfers. Rain threatened
all day but did not arrive and the pleasant
conditions made good scoring possible.
Dale (Twin Creeks) was the defending
champion having won in 2015. This year he
had a par round of 71 on the testing layout
to record a two-stroke winning margin over
Steve Stanton (Bankstown) and Ken Brewer
(Concord). St Michael’s senior Steve Gibson
showed a return to his best form with a
round of 74 to finish alone in fourth place.
Dale has now won the last 5 NSW Senior
Order of Merit events with his victories
at Royal Sydney, Richmond, Penrith,
Stonecutter’s Ridge and Bonnie Doon.

The formal dinner on Monday night
featured several presentations from ADFGA
members that highlighted the work they
are currently doing in the national armed
services. Brigadier Paul Nothard (A.M. CSC)
gave a very interesting overview of his role in
the armed services as part of his welcoming
address.
This was Chappell’s first Australian
Senior Ranking title having recently
reached the qualifying age of 55. As a
senior Chappell has continued to win on
the WA open amateur circuit with wins at
the Rockingham Bowl and the Hartfield
Open since turning 55.
In the Women’s Championship Lake
Karrinyup’s Sharon Dawson started the
final round just one shot ahead of Alison
Eather. Dawson, the current Australian and
New Zealand Senior Amateur Champion,
then came to the fore in difficult conditions.
Her rounds of 86-79-82 gave her a six shot
margin over Janine Northrop of Melville
Glades in second with Eather (WA Golf Club)
finishing third.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Mt Osmond Seniors

The third Senior Order of Merit event in
the South Australian season was played at
a beautifully presented Mt Osmond course.
The winner was Phil Smith from Tea Tree
Gully with a good round of 77. He won by
a single stroke from local member Andrew
Long on 78. Nigel Turner was third with a 79.
Long’s scratch score of 78 gave him a net
score of 66 – a great round from the 12
handicapper. The Super Seniors was won
by SA senior stalwart from The Vines, Nigel
Coles with 80 on a count back from the ever
consistent Chris Claxton from Blackwood.

Tea Tree Gully Seniors
58 players hit off in the Tea Tree Gully
Masters on a wonderfully conditioned
course. Local Tea Tree Gully member John
Davey played well all day and his even par
round of 71 gave him a comfortable fourstroke winning margin.
He defeated another Tea Tree Gully
member, the ever consistent Norm Cordina
on 75. Cordina is the reigning SA Senior
Order of Merit champion. In third place was
another local Phil Smith on 78.
The Super Seniors section was won by
John Anderson from Flagstaff Hill and a
stalwart of SA senior golf with a fine round
of 76. He defeated Allan Cooper from Mt
Osmond on 82.

In keeping with tradition the event was
played from the championship tees – the
same course setup as will be used for the
Australian Open. In fact, with some very tight
and demanding pins many players thought
it may have been even harder than the setup
the pros will find. Either way, it was a real
challenge with most wishing they could
add a little of Adam Scott’s or Rory McIlroy’s
length off the tee.
This year the course was the real winner
with only two golfers managing to break 80.
The winner was Twin Creeks senior Denis
Dale with his round of 78. Dale played solidly

Once again it was a memorable experience
for everyone who participated in this
prestigious event. The golf course was
sensational as was the hospitality shown by
all the staff and members of The National
Golf Club.

Dave Limbach, Denis Dale and Col Kenning
– top three in the NSW Veteran’s Strokeplay
Championship.

The South Australian Senior season enjoys
a winter a winter break before the action
resumes at Glenelg Golf Club on 22nd August.
This is the beginning of a run of events on
top quality courses including Royal Adelaide,
Grange and Kooyonga, before the South
Australian Senior Amateur Championship at
Victor Harbour from September 5 – 7.

senior amateurs

VICTORIA

Alpine Senior Masters
John Kelly (Metropolitan) and Barry Webb
(Yarrawonga) claimed the 2016 Alpine Senior
Masters played at Bright Golf Club titles after
the second and final round was abandoned
because of the weather.
The round one leader and therefore the
tournament winner was Metropolitan member
John Kelly who fired the best round with an
even par 72. The 1979 Australian Amateur
Champion, and former professional golfer
mentioned that his short game was key to his
win. “I holed a lot of 4-5 foot putts. I had a good
stroke going” Kelly mentioned.
Leading Victorian senior golfers Gordon
Claney (Kingston Heath) and Ian Frost
(Bendigo) finished in second and third places
with rounds of 73 and 74.
In the handicap section, it was Yarrawonga’s
Barry Webb taking the honours after carding a
fine net 67 in round one.

Mornington Peninsula Seniors
Round one of the 36-hole Mornington
Peninsula Senior Amateur was contested in
perfect conditions at the picturesque coastal
Flinders Golf Club.
Leading after the first round was Ian Frost
with a strong score of one over par 70. The
Bendigo member had a two-stroke lead over
Sandhurst senior Wayne Aigner on 72.
Round two was played at Portsea Golf Club
and again the field was presented with perfect
weather and a beautiful course.
Wayne Aigner played a solid second round
to record a score of 77 and finish level with
overnight leader Ian Frost who had a round
of 79. Aigner has been a strong supporter of
senior golf for many years and after winning
on a countback commented, “It’s been a long

June Tickell and Wayne Aigner – champions at
the 2016 Mornington Peninsula Seniors.

time between drinks”. Aigner’s last win came
back in 2008.
Taking out the men’s nett trophy was Tim
Kirtley of Thirteenth Beach with a two-round
nett score of 143, to win on a count-back from
Chris Keeshan of Centenary Park.
The women’s scratch Stableford section was
tightly contested and won by June Tickell
of Trafalgar. In her maiden senior event of
the year, Tickell recorded 25 and 27 points
for a total of 52 scratch points. She defeated
Buninyong’s Helen Pascoe by one stroke.

Home ground advantage came into play in
the nett competition, with both the winner
and runner up coming from Box Hill. Club
captain Michael Ransom with a handicap of 19,
scored a nett 67 to narrowly beat fellow club
member John Ford on nett 68. Kerry Boehm
off a handicap of 7 came in third place with a
nett 69.
Helen Pascoe has wrapped up another win
on the women’s seniors circuit scoring 34
scratch points and winning by 10 points. Back
to back birdies on the 13th and 14th for the
Buninyong golfer were highlights on Pascoe’s
card. Louise Dawson was the runner up.
In the Stableford competition, Helen
Somogyi from Box Hill won the event with a
score of 36 points followed closely by Jenny
Chandler on 33 points.

Box Hill Senior Amateur
On a fresh morning, 55 men and 16 women
competed in the Box Hill Senior Amateur
played over eighteen holes with the men
competing in stroke and women playing
Stableford.
Bryce Birtwistle from Sandhurst shot a
brilliant score of two under the card 69 to win
the gross section by a convincing 3 shots.
Birtwistle’s highlight of the round came in the
form of a perfectly struck iron on the par 3
17th hole, landing past the pin and spinning
back for an ace. Runner up John Kelly and third
place Ken O’Brien shot 72 and 73 respectively.

Golf Victoria vs ADFGA
Perfect autumn conditions greeted the
Golf Victoria Senior team and the Australian
Defence Force team (ADFGA) on the final day
of the sixteenth match played between the
two teams at Sorrento Golf Club.
The ADFGA team is made up of players
who are current members of the Australian

Services, whilst the Golf Victoria Senior team
incorporates the current top ten players of
the Doug Bachli Senior Order of Merit with an
additional two captains picks. The Golf Victoria
Senior Team was captained this year by senior
advisory group chair Tony Hyde.
Following a Ryder Cup format the first day
saw fourball and foursome matches between
the teams. At the end of these matches the
contest was delicately poised at 6.5 points to
5.5 in favour of the Golf Victoria Seniors.
The ADFGA team were quick out of the
blocks on the second day winning the first
two singles matches. Then the Golf Victoria
Seniors hit back with wins to Barry Tippett
and John Wheeler. Soon after Rod Smylie, Sam
Harkis and Kurt Lampe completed a flurry of
comfortable wins to the ADF team and they
again had a two-match lead with five matches
remaining.
Guy Krall and Tony Greenwood could not be
split halving their encounter before ADFGA
player Bronwyn Mullins returned a tight
1up win over Ken O’Brien. The ADFGA team
needed half a point from the remaining three
matches.
Golf Victoria’s Gordon Claney and Alan Bullas
recorded fine wins meaning the overall result
would come down to the last singles match.
Fittingly, two of the country’s top ranked
seniors in Ian Frost and Daryl Whitehead were
left to fight it out. After eighteen holes the
match could not be split and the halved result
gave the ADFGA team the narrowest of overall
win’s 12.5 points to 11.5 points.
Undefeated players for the Golf Victoria
Seniors included both Alan Bullas & Barry
Tippett with Tippett in particular producing
some outstanding golf to take home the Paul
Lulofs Medal as the most outstanding player
over the two days. Kurt Lampe produced some
fine golf for the ADFGA team finishing as the
only undefeated player.

A love of golf for Denis
Brian O’Hare

brian@australianseniorgolfer.com.au

O

N a sunny Sydney afternoon, Denis
Dale looked out over the 18th hole at
the Stonecutters Ridge Golf Club with
obvious affection.
It was an affection felt not just for this
particular hole on this particular course,
though both are admirable, but probably for
most holes on most golf courses everywhere.
We were sitting on the Stonecutters
clubhouse back balcony and Dale, a two-time
Australian Senior Amateur Champion, was
reflecting on a relationship with golf that goes
back more than half a century.
Inside, organisers of the 2016 NSW Veteran
Golfers Association (NSWVGA) Strokeplay
Championship were preparing to present
Dale with his latest trophy before a packed
celebration luncheon.
Once again Dale would be in the limelight;
be handed a winning trophy, asked to make a
speech and have his photo taken.
It has happened quite a bit to the now 68
year-old, ever since he began his love affair
with golf as a youngster caddying for his
father.

“I started as a cadet member when I was 10
years old at Cabramatta Golf Club, so that’s 58
years I have been playing golf,” he said.
“I used to go and caddy for my dad when I
was seven or eight and then I was allowed to
play 9 holes when I was 10 and then I was a
junior member when I was 14.”
He was soon off a two handicap which he
maintained for most of his golfing career until
the new system sees him close to scratch.
With a family and a teaching then education
administration career he says he didn’t play in
many open events or state titles originally.
“I played Saturdays. So I wasn’t a
representative golfer, I was a club golfer,” he
said.
All that changed when he turned 55 and
discovered senior golf. He had his own
computer and technology business by that
time and had more time “to practice and play
in multiple events.”
“I was living in Queensland and in my first
event I played the Queensland Seniors. I
remember I broke par. I was 2 or 3 under the
first round and I was leading with one to
go but I didn’t win. I forget what I had but I
didn’t win. That got me interested and since
then I have played golf all over Australia, and
actually internationally as well, in senior golf,
so I have had a lot of fun.”
The fun has included the two national
senior amateur titles, a national matchplay

championship, topping the Australian Order
of Merit a couple of times and winning the
NSW Order of Merit nine times.
Back on the Stonecutters balcony, Dale
had just competed in and won his first ever
“veteran golf” event, the three-day 54 hole
state strokeplay championship, conducted
this year at Stonecutters, as well as Richmond
and Penrith golf clubs.
The difference between “veteran golf” and
“senior golf” can be a little confusing to the
uninitiated, but basically whilst “veteran”
events, particularly at a state or national
level, have a very competitive low marker
scratch component, they also cater for higher
handicappers usually in three handicapped
divisions. “Senior golf” is all about scratch
scores and there are usually strict handicap
entry requirements.
The NSWVGA strokeplay event blurs the
lines further now after Golf NSW recently
awarded it State Senior Order of Merit status.
That new status helped attract Dale and a
number of other very low handicappers,
generating its biggest field in its 24 event
history since inception in 1993.
Dale, from Twin Creeks Golf Club, had
played three rounds of almost flawless golf
to beat Penrith Golf Club member David
Limbach with defending champion and four
time winner Col Kenning, from Kiama Golf
Club, third.

But for Dale golf is obviously not all about
winning tournaments and giving victory
speeches.
“I actually play golf now occasionally on my
own, and I love it,” he reflected. “I physically
like being on the golf course. And I like being
on the golf course on my own, in a bunker,
mucking around, and if people come around
and say I will join you for a few holes I just say
no, keep going. I just like the atmosphere of
being on the golf course.
[Pointing over the Stonecutters finishing
hole] Imagine being out there on your own,
and you are playing two or three balls down
the 18th. Could there be anything better ….
that’s better than watching TV or going to a
movie or anything isn’t it?”
Brian O’Hare is the founder and editor of Australian
Senior Golfer, a website and online magazine
providing news, information and entertainment
for golfers aged 45 plus. Australianseniorgolfer.
com.au
www.insidegolf.com.au | May 2016

53

people

Christian’s high-tech approach to golf
Henry Peters

ed@insidegolf.com.au
@hsspeters

A

career in the golf industry may have brought Cobra
Puma Golf Australasia boss Christian Pegrum’s golf game
to its knees, but his presence is lifting the company and
the broader golf sector to a higher level of performance.
The former electronics industry manager has brought a critical
approach to business analysis since joining the ranks at Cobra
Puma Golf in 2012.
A national sales manager at global technology company,
Belkin, Pegrum was working with major companies including
JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys and Harvey Norman until he felt
encouraged to change industries.
“The GFC hit and people realised that they couldn’t spend
money on items like they were, so it was a good time to change
industries and move into an industry I felt I would love and
enjoy and I enjoyed playing golf,” Pegrum said.
A member at Sandhurst Club in Melbourne’s south-east since
2006, Pegrum has seen his handicap balloon from seven to
double digits since 2012 as he has been shown and tried to
master the many swings of golf. On a positive note, he’s brought
a high degree of expertise to Cobra Puma Golf in assessing how
its different products are performing at golf outlets and pro
shops.
“I saw a great opportunity for me to take some skill sets that
I had in my previous roles and bring it into this role,” Pegrum
said. “Numbers are critical to business. To be able to get as much
detail as possible with as much ease as possible, with the least
amount of manual work required is the ultimate goal. We’ve
become a lot faster in the way that we can access information,
the level of detail that we can drill down to and the ease at
which we can do that.”
Despite improvements in the way that golf industry
stakeholders record performance, Pegrum sees major room for
improvement.
He estimates the golf industry is 15 years behind other

business sectors in terms of how brands and companies
analyse reports and performance.
“If I compare dealing with the likes of JB Hi-Fi or a Harvey
Norman or The Good Guys, I could ask those customers for
reports, detailed information on our brand performance, on
their brand performance and we’d share that information with
a view to help each other improve. I think the sporting industry
as a whole is quite a way behind. I think because golf is a
leisure sport, a leisure environment and people feel working
in sport is a great opportunity, there’s not as much investment
in up skilling, utilising technology, best practices from other
industries and advancement. This is a great opportunity for us
as a collective to grow.”
Pegrum is also encouraging on-course pro shops to work

harder to compete with off-course golf stores.
He points to a widening gap driven by more golfers spending
their money away from the golf course, which Pegrum argues
is reinforcing an inferiority complex within smaller pro shops.
“If you went back not too long ago, retail was 50 per cent
on-course and 50 per cent off-course. The trend’s moving
very quickly to off-course retail. The biggest gap comes from
those off-course retailers realising to adapt and implement
best practice retail as a general rule and leveraging off what
consumer electronics do or FMCG [fast-moving consumer
goods] do and apply that to their business.”
The golf pro tends to have a mentality of, ‘I can’t compete
with those guys, they’re bigger than me’. We’re certainly trying
to help the golf pro to understand how they can invest in their
business and grow their business.”
“Recently we have seen the parent bodies of golf (such as Golf
Australia and the PGA) hire employees from other industries
with a view to bring external views to golf, embracing best
practice from other industries. This is a positive step in the right
direction. We are also seeing our retail partners invest more
in their systems, reporting tools and analytics. There is a great
opportunity for golf to grow as an industry, and I am excited to
be a part of that change to take this great game to the market
in the best way possible.” •

Endycott honours mother’s memory

I

“Getting into the headspace I did then, well, without
golf and the people I had around back then I would be a
completely different person to who I am now.”

t was when his iPhone began running hot with messages
of congratulations during a Golf NSW State Team training
session that Harrison Endycott finally realised that his goal of
making the Golf Australia National Squad had come to fruition.

“It was amazing the support and the friendship that I
received. It gave me the drive to get on with life, move on,
get better mentally and physically. It’s definitely what mum
would’ve wanted.”

The elevation to the National Squad was a timely reward
for Endycott’s stellar play since the start of the year, a period
where the Avondale member won an impressive swag of four
prestigious titles including the Lake Macquarie Amateur, the
Avondale Medal, the Riversdale Cup, and the South Australian
Amateur Classic.

Support, and friendship that came from a close circle of
friends and family including his Coach Mark Paterson, and
Paterson’s son, Ben.

“It feels awesome to make the Squad. I put in so much work
leading up to the summer. It’s definitely a nice reward being
added to the National Squad,” Endycott said.

“Mark is my godfather, and Ben had been through his own
health problems and he fought through them. I look up to
him. He was the guy that always got me back on track when
it felt like life had punched me in the face. He’s like a brother
to me.”

An honour also for the people that matter most in the 19
year-old’s life and blossoming golf career; his Dad Brian, Coach
Mark Paterson and Endycott’s best mate, Paterson’s son, Ben.
More importantly, however, it also honoured a commitment
Endycott had made to his mother Dianne, who passed away
four years ago after a long battle with ovarian cancer.
“I lost my mum when I was 15 to cancer. I made it a goal
of mine to represent my country before she passed away,”
Endycott reflected.
“It was a very, very tough time – I went through a very, very
dark place back then.”
Endycott’s mother had chosen to keep the severity of her
condition away from her son as the heinous disease took its
toll.
“Mum had kept it from me for so long, I didn’t know it was
life and death. She had known for a long time that her future
54

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

wasn’t good. When I found out how bad it was, it was like a
huge punch in the face for me.”
With a loss of that magnitude in life, it was understandable for
the then 15-year old to react emotionally in his own way.
“I was very frustrated after mum died. I was rebellious at the
time. I did get angry. No drugs or stupidity or anything like that,
but I got up to a few things, and didn’t bother to show up at
school quite a few times,” he said.
It took a network of supporters and his dedication to the
game combined with the thought that he could achieve
something his late mother would’ve cherished that kept
Endycott from going any further off the rails.

Through it all, Endycott’s father Brian has been a constant
supporter, watching his son develop into an outstanding
golfer. He couldn’t be any prouder of his son’s achievement.
“Dad’s over the moon with how I’ve been playing, I’ve
sacrificed a lot of time with him and in other areas of our life
to get where I wanted to get to and he’s stoked that things
are happening the way they have.”
For Endycott, achieving the honour of wearing his country’s
uniform to honour his late mum has made his selection
particularly special.
“This is for her. She’s definitely up there somewhere looking
on. Hopefully she’s proud of me. Hopefully she’s helping a few
of those golf balls back in the fairway when I hook one here
and there,” Endycott smiled.

people

Goggin one of the greats

Lindy with
husband Charlie
and their son
Mathew.

David Newbery
david@insidegolf.com.au

W

HEN golf historians blow the dust off
the record books and go in search
of great Australian golfers they will
undoubtedly stop at the letter G and ink in one
of the greatest – Lindy Goggin.
Born and raised in Launceston, Tasmania,
the extraordinarily talented Lindy stretched a
stellar amateur career across four decades.
She enjoyed worldwide success, proudly
representing her country with distinction in
team events and national championships.
A champion swimmer and water skier, Lindy
took up golf aged 10 and her brilliant career
took off after she won the 1967 Tasmanian
amateur championship.

but I would now if I had my time over again
and things are as they are now,” she said.
“If I had turned pro it would have been a
different lifestyle – totally.”

And, as they say, she was on her way.
She went on to win a further 18 Tasmanian
amateur titles – the last in 1991 at the age of
42.

What’s perplexing is Lindy didn’t play with
the same confidence as her peers, which is
something of an oddity, certainly a rarity, for a
winner of so many tournaments.

One of Lindy’s most amazing Tasmanian
amateur victories was in 1974 – just seven days
after leaving hospital following the birth of son
Mathew.

“Look, everybody said I was the best
amateur golfer in Australia and I suppose
the record speaks for itself, but I didn’t have
the confidence in my ability that someone
like Jane Lock or Jan Stephenson had,” she
revealed.

“No wonder Mathew became a golfer,”
Lindy laughed. “I actually checked myself out
of hospital because I knew I had to play the
following week.
“My mother was president of the Golf
Union at the time and Mathew was in a little
basket beside her while she ran the state
championship.
“I was very fit when I had Mat so it was pretty
easy,” said Lindy, who played and practiced
right up until she gave birth.
Titles and course records regularly fell into
Lindy’s hands including three Australian
amateur championships (1971, ’77 and ’80).
She was runner-up twice in 1972 and 1980,
won the national averages six times and
represented Australia for 19 years between
1970 and 1988.
She held course records from Brisbane to
Perth including Indooroopilly, Lake Karringyup,
Royal Melbourne, Royal Adelaide, Royal Hobart
and Tasmania Golf Club. Her course record
at Royal Hobart was a remarkable 65 – eightunder par.
Lindy’s long game, honed on the fairways of
the Lindisfarne club (now Tasmania Golf Club),
was her strength.
Pity her opponent when she pulled a fourwood from her bag and took aim at the
flagstick.

“If I had Jane or Jan’s confidence, I probably
would have won twice as much.
Sweet-swinging Tasmanian Lindy
Goggin was the mainstay of
Australian women’s amateur golf.
Inevitably, the ball would finish on the green
and oftentimes near the cup.
“The old course was unique because it had a
lot of canyons,” Lindy explained. “We lived on
the 15th hole which had this huge canyon and
my father used to love watching me play fourwoods and fairways woods because I would
have to hit over this canyon and if didn’t I was
in the canyon.
“So, I became a very strong long iron (2, 3,
and 4 iron) and four-wood player.”
In 1977, Lindy, perhaps unsurprisingly,
embarrassed the professionals when she
won the Australian Women’s PGA title by five
strokes.
“Jan Stephenson had just turned professional
and it was the first ALPG event in Australia,”
Lindy recalled.
Lindy went on to captain the Australian team
five times.

Stablehand Goggin mucked in
PROFESSIONAL Mathew Goggin certainly
wasn’t given a “saloon passage” growing up
in Tasmania, according to his mother Lindy.
Lindy and husband Charlie own a
thoroughbred racehorse stud and young
Mathew had to do his fair share of work
around the stables before going off to
practice his golf.
“For him to play golf, he had to get up
early and be at the stables at 6.30 every
morning to muck out boxes,” Lindy told
Inside Golf.

“That was his pocket money and then he
went off to practice.”
“He did that right up until he went
overseas.”
Lindy said Mathew did not intend to
follow in his father’s footsteps, however, his
sister Luella became Charlie’s right-hand
woman.
“She is a magician with horses,” Lindy
said. “She can do anything and even breaks
them in.”

“Yes, I was a good player and had the lowest
handicap in the world but I felt I should have
won a lot more.”
The team won five Tasman Cups,
three Espirito Santo world titles, three
Commonwealth Series and Lindy was the
leading player at the Queen Sirikit Cup in 1981
and ’82.
“We had a nucleus of good players including
Jane Lock, Edwina Kennedy, Jane Crafter,
Sandy McCaw and Louise Briers.
Around that time, Lindy played off +4, the
lowest handicap in the world, and could have
dramatically improved her career record in
1981 when she came within a whisker of
winning the US women’s amateur.
She defeated Rosie Jones in the semi-final
after staging a back-nine fight back. Four down
after 11 holes, Lindy won the next five holes to
take the lead, lost the 16th, birdied the 17th to
get the lead back and halved the 18th.
“Rosie was on fire and I said to Charlie
(husband), who was caddying for me, ‘I can’t
best this girl’ but I kept going and ended up
beating her,” she said.
In the final, Lindy led Juli Inkster with two
holes to play. The American birdied the
final two holes from three and four metres
respectively to win the title.

There is little doubt Lindy would have
made a great success as a professional, but
she decided to become a part-owner of a
thoroughbred racehorse stud with husband
Charlie … for many years the leading trainer in
Tasmania.
“Charlie followed my golf career for a long
time, then Mathew came along and we put
a lot of time into him,” she said. “I preferred
watching him play rather than play myself.
“Then horses took over and I helped Charlie
when we had 60 horses in work.”
A member at Royal Hobart Golf Club, Lindy
seldom plays golf, preferring to spend time
with her grandchildren.
“I play tennis twice a week, dabble in golf and
spend a lot of time with my grandchildren,” she
said.
“And I am helping my granddaughter get
going in golf at the moment.
“She is 12 and doing well.”
Lindy told Inside Golf she was impressed with
the talent possessed by today’s young players.
“I’m gob-smacked by some of the scores
these young kids are shooting,” she said.
“The length the kids hit it blows me away.

“They were long putts, but Juli is an
unbelievable player,” Lindy said. “She won
again the following year and I reached the
semi-final.”

“The kids are driven and told to go for it.
Mathew told me to let Hallie (granddaughter)
rip it because if you can’t hit it long you are
wasting your time.

I ask Lindy if she regrets not turning
professional after Inkster and Jones joined the
play-for-pay ranks and won more than $15
million and $10m respectively.

“To be a good player today you have to be a
big hitter, strong and have a good short game.”

“Not really because I wasn’t money driven,

FOOTNOTE: In 1993, Lindy Goggin was made a
Member of the Order of Australia for her services
to amateur golf.
www.insidegolf.com.au | May 2016

55

instruction

The value of Trackman

o slice, or not to
T
slice? That is the
question!

Allan May

www.thornleighgolfcentre.com.au

I

’ve been playing
and coaching
this great game
for over 40 years
and have seen
many changes in
technology with the equipment
we use, the balls we play and the
courses we play. But to me, the
standout in technology that has
improved our game is Trackman.
As a Trackman trained instructor,
Trackman has shown me why a
player with a lesser swing speed
can hit the ball farther than a
player with a faster swing speed by
simply getting the dynamics better
through impact.
I’ve seen players who hit drives
with a negative attack angle
degree and a swing path to the left
gain up to 30 metres by changing
to a positive attack angle and a
swing path to the right. Although
different dynamics I’ve seen the
same improvements with iron
shots.
Don’t think that Trackman is all
about mechanics and figures; it
just tells you without any prejudice
when you have achieved those
perfect numbers and then you
can relate that back to how it felt
for your swing. The most common
feedback I get from players when

Richard Mercer
www.richardmercergolf.com

One of the most asked questions
that I get as a Teaching
Professional is “How am I going
to fix my slice!?” There are a few
fundamental things to look for
that can cause this shot:

that happens is “so that’s the way
it’s supposed to feel!”
Until Trackman proved to me
otherwise, I was coached to hit a
fade, keeping the clubface open
to my target line with a swing to
the left, but now I understand
that for me to hit a consistent
fade the clubface is actually
closed to your target line but
open to that swing path, which is
also going left.
You don’t need to have a
Trackman lesson every time you
get coached, but it’s advisable to
find out your current Trackman
numbers and what you have
to do to improve them, go and
practise and maybe in a month
come back and again check your
numbers to make sure you’re still
on track.

Personally I hadn’t won on
the Legends Tour for five years,
always second-guessing my
swing thoughts and not trusting
them when I needed to most. But
with positive reinforcement from
Trackman I was able to win three
times last year knowing that my
swing thoughts and mechanics
were sound and that makes a big
difference when you need to make
those pressure shots.
If you want to avail yourself to
this truly great piece of technology
and you are serious about
improving your golf, then book a
Trackman lesson today and you
will immediately understand more
about your swing tendencies,
why you hit that odd wide shot
that comes out of the blue and
improve your feel for a better more
consistent swing. •

heck your left hand grip – are
•C
you seeing 2 ½ or even
3 knuckles, not one or two?
• E nsure your shoulders are
square to the intended line, not
aiming left of the target if you
are a right handed golfer?
• Is the club going outside
of the intended line on
the backswing? Check the
direction of your backswing
and ensure it starts back on a
semi-circle direction moving
slightly around behind your
body rather than outside the
line.
•A
re you rotating your shoulders
enough (if you are a righthanded golfer, your left
shoulder should turn until it
gets under your chin).

A simple drill to help make this
work is the “right foot behind
left foot” drill. Swing the club
back and through, keeping your
right foot on the ground the
whole time. This drill helps with
the direction of your swing and
helps correct your hand action
as you hit the ball.

• Your downswing should follow
the same direction as your
backswing.

To see a video example and
more golf tips, visit
www.richardmercergolf.com

Finding consistent Tempo
1

2

3

Matt Cleverdon
@cleverdongolf

I

n putting, I am often asked about
developing consistency in the stroke when
players are struggling with their putting.
In order to improve your putting you need to
control the speed. Two important factors in
controlling speed are controlling the length
and the tempo of the stroke.
A great drill to help you work on these two
elements is to place two tees a putter grip
apart. (See pic 1) From there, swing back to
the back tee (see pic 2 and 3) and strike the
putt. Without looking at the result, repeat the
process twice more. Once you have struck
all three putts look at the result and see how
successful you were at repeating the elements.
If they finish within a putter grip, that is an
elite standard and what you are aiming for.
(See pic 4) With a little practice you will be
surprised how quickly you find “your” tempo.
This can be used prior to a round to find your
tempo and trust for the round.
56

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

4

Matt Cleverdon is the Director of Instruction at
Kingston Heath Golf Club. Matt was voted as the
2012 & 2015 Victorian Teaching Professional of the
year and has been nominated for the award 6 times.
He has coached players of all abilities including
world number 1 amateurs and tour winners, most
recently 2015 Australian Ladies Masters Champion.
Matt also directs the 6 coaches at his International
academy at Matt Cleverdon Golf, Chengdu China.
www.mattcleverdon.com

fitness

Incorporating recovery into your training
on the body while at the same time placing
more focus on the technical aspects of their
sport.

Richard Nizielski
richard@golffitsolutions.com
0438 027 768

Even if you’re not a professional athlete, a
similar approach can also be taken to ensure
you are playing ache free and at your best.

I

f you’ve done any weight training in the
gym or manual labour where repetitive
heavy lifting is involved, then chances
are within the next 24-48 hours you would
have experienced sore muscles and or some
restriction in movement. That soreness is
the muscle going into a recovery phase and
repairing damage to the small fibres inside
the muscles, in preparation for the next bout
of work.

For the sake of the article, let’s assume you
regularly play golf at your club on Saturdays.
If we were to plan the training week, it may
be something like the following:

Nutrition, hydration and sleep all play a big
part in our ability to recover from training
and muscle ache.

Whilst the muscles you have trained
will benefit from the work done it is quite
possible that the ache and soreness will
affect your golf game.

I will make a point here and say there is a
difference between soreness from training
and pain from injury. Any pain you believe to
be associated with an injury should be looked
at by a medical or allied health professional.

Two ways of lowering the affect are
incorporating recovery into your training and
having a better plan for your training week.

As well as including the above suggestions,
planning your training so it has minimal
effect on your golf is helpful.

Recovery should include:
Developing an effective stretching routine,
which covers all the muscles you have trained
and the areas where you feel tightness.

Athletes commonly use planning and
periodisation to ensure their body is at its
peak fitness level at the most important
events during the season.

Regularly use a recovery tools such
as a foam roller, theraball, hot and cold
hydrotherapy and massage to name a few.

So, an athlete will lower the intensity of
the training and the amount of training they
do in a session thereby lowering the stress

Sunday: Maybe a rest day (spent with the
family)
Monday: Fitness training in the gym – A
full body training program (3 sets of each
exercise) This will be a high intensity training
session
Tuesday: Cardio fitness training (Intervals
– High intensity) This session will be high
intensity, mainly targeting the cardiovascular
system.
Wednesday: Fitness training in the gym – A
full body training program (consider doing
one less set per exercise) The intensity and
volume of this session have been reduced
from that of the Monday session
Thursday: Core control fitness and power
development (med ball throws) Core control
is focused on stability and the med ball
throws a focused on the body creating a
coordinated, strong, fast contraction with

plenty of rest between the exercises, with the
emphasis on quality rather than quantity.
Friday: Cardio fitness (Longer medium
paced intervals, or long steady pace training
– 20-40 minutes) Lowered level of intensity,
which can be used as an active recovery
session
Saturday: Play golf
Of course I have not included any golf
practice you may do during the week in
this example, but nonetheless you can see
the aim of the example training week, is to
reduce the amount of intensity and volume
over the week and have the body fresh and
ready to play golf on Saturday.
Whatever you decide to put into your
training for the week, if you keep in mind
the principle of doing the high volume, high
intensity training away from your golf game,
you will give yourself the best opportunity to
play better golf. •

Richard Nizielski is a Brisbane-based golf fitness expert
and the Director of Golf Fit Solutions. A three-time
Olympian and medallist in the sport of short track
speed skating, Richard is a qualified sports and
personal trainer designing individual fitness and
nutrition programs for both professional and amateur
golfers here in Australia and overseas.
www.golffitsolutions.com

mental game

9 mental keys for Jordan Spieth to
bounce back (which you can use too)
Nick Sutherland

nick@stateofmindhealth.com.au

F

ollowing the U.S. Masters, a friend of
mine asked me “How does Jordan Spieth
recover from this?”

From what we’ve all heard and read, Jordan
has a high level of emotional intelligence.
And it is likely that he will adopt a number of
“key things” to help him bounce back.
The nine keys listed below can work for
you, too, and also be applied in day-to-day
life, whether you’re out on the course or
struggling with something at home or at
work.
1) ACCEPT that it happened. Take
ownership of it and don’t blame anything or
anyone else. When you learn to do this, you
create the ability to implement change.
Don’t beat yourself up and live in denial,
pretending it wasn’t as bad as it was. You’re
not fooling anyone and you can’t make
changes if you aren’t working in the reality.
2) VALIDATE what you’re feeling. Its healthy
to feel sad/disappointed or angry, just be
sure to let it go as soon as possible. Learning
to laugh at yourself and the situation is also
very empowering.
Don’t reject your feelings or try to hide

them. Many people mistake this for being
strong when all it does is create internal
unrest which becomes emotionally toxic and
causes more damage.
3) REMAIN active and connected to people
who are non judgmental, supportive and can
give an objective point of view.
Don’t isolate yourself and try to figure it
all out yourself – its simply too hard and you
won’t achieve anything more than making
the situation worse. Reaching out can be
hard, but lean into the discomfort and see
the benefits.
4) LET GO of any expectations you had
and, once things settle down, take the
opportunity to set fresh goals.
Don’t hold onto what you think should’ve
happened; it will only serve to keep you
stuck and leave you with a “victim” or “failure”
mentality.
5) LEARN from the mistakes, chalk it up
to experience and ask yourself what would
someone that has achieved it do? Tiger for
example – he wouldn’t have thought he
needed to par the back-9, he would’ve stayed
offensive and tried to win by 10.
Don’t close your mind off to the amount
of value this experience can give you. Times
like these forge something within you - these
challenges give you the tools needed to get
to the next level.

6) FOCUS on the percentage of things you
did well and allow the rest to highlight what
you need to work on moving forward. The
stats are a great indicator of what you can
practice to improve your weaknesses.
Don’t dwell on the minority and let the
mistakes consume you. You need to allow the
past to become your past and not lose sleep
over it.
7) PERSPECTIVE is vital in emotional times
so find some evidence to base your beliefs on
rather than just how you feel in that moment.
Ben Hogan went into the 1954 Masters final
round leading by 1 then shot 75 and lost. If
one of the greats can do it, it’s ok for you to.
Rory collapsed in 2011 then won the next
Major – its never as bad as it seems.
Don’t make permanent decisions based
on a temporary feeling. Firing someone or
making drastic changes won’t help. In fact
it will only make things worse and you will
have to start from scratch.
8) LOOK FORWARD and become excited
about the challenges and obstacles ahead.
There will be an element of discomfort but
that’s where you need to be – on the edge of
your comfort zone.
Don’t stay bitter and angry. Looking back
isn’t going to lead you to a better place. Eyes
forward and start moving toward your next
goal.

9) TAKE an “explore and experiment”
mindset when you start moving to your
next goal. There is no one clear pathway so
acknowledge that you may try some things
that don’t work but tweak and change until
you find the right mixture.
Don’t become hell bent on making
amendments or rectifying the situation
because you will soon become consumed by
it. Your time and energy are far too valuable
to waste – you have better things to invest
them in.
Failure is only a mindset. With positive
thinking and a good attitude, your scars will
soon heal and you’ll be back on your feet
doing what you’re supposed to be doing. You
don’t want to get to your deathbed in perfect
shape – its good to have a few scars and
scratches. What doesn’t kill you only makes
you stronger if you allow it to.
Nick Sutherland is a psychotherapist and
performance consultant based on the
Mornington Peninsula who specialises in helping
golfers of all ability to take their game to the
next level by improving their mental game.
Nick has worked with Olympic and World
Championship winning athletes, AFL players,
Hall of Fame triathletes and professional golfers
to achieve their goals and can help you too.
For a free assessment, email him at
contact@nicksutherland.com.au or visit
www.nicksutherland.com.au
www.insidegolf.com.au | May 2016

57

golf new south wales

Women’s Summer Kareela growing
community spirit
Meeting
Kareela Golf Club has been named as
a finalist in this year’s Clubs NSW - Clubs
and Community Awards in the Disability,
Welfare and Social Inclusion section for
their efforts in employing an apprentice
greenkeeper with a profound hearing
impairment.

J

ocelyn Mackay has won her 16th
Open Summer Cup by five strokes from
defending champion Debbie Nunn in
a keenly contested Summer Meeting held
recently in the Southern Highlands.
Mackay led all the way, carding rounds of
82 and 87 around the picturesque Bowral
and Highlands layouts for a total of 169. The
overall nett winner in Division I was Ineke
Kelson of Randwick with a nett 154. Runner
up was Geraldine Anderson of Wakehurst
with a nett 155.

The Shire club took the step of filling
the role and ensuring that the placement
worked seamlessly with the help of
employment provider Nova Employment.
“It was the first time we’ve dealt with
Nova. They’ve been really good. We
advertised for an apprentice greenkeeper
and Liam was one of the applicants. He
got the job on his merits,” Dennis Skinner,
General Manager of Kareela Golf Club said.

Moss Vale Golf Club’s Alexandra Nielsen
took advantage of her local knowledge
to take the Kathleen Armstrong Bowl in
Division II which was conducted around the
Highlands and Moss Vale Courses. Nielsen
posted a total of 66 points over the two
rounds to take the title by a point from
Wakehurst Golf Club’s Janeen Macfarlane.

For 18-year old Liam Magee, landing an
apprenticeship is a dream come true.
There were a number of issues to be
addressed before the club could put Liam
on. Not the least of these was his inability
to hear a golfer call out ‘Fore!’ if he was
working alone on the golf course. The Club
worked through the roadblocks and he’s
become a valuable member of the staff.

The Foursomes event was played at Mt
Broughton and Bowral Golf Clubs with
Wakehurst’s Debbie Nunn and Sachiko
Cathcart taking the Division I scratch with a
score of 81 around the testing Mt Broughton
layout. Nett winners in Division I were
Barbara Bohdanowicz and Margaret Critchon
from the Coast Golf Club with a fine nett 73.
Wakehurst Golf Club managed the trifecta
in the Division II foursomes event held at
Bowral. Debbie Sate and Maureen Franklin
were victorious with a nett score of 77 ½
from Jennifer Webb and Tanya Hoyle. Third
place went to Christine Carolyn and Judy
Gailey.
The final event of the meeting was the
popular Teams Vs Par event held at Moss Vale
and Mt Broughton Golf Clubs.
The team of Anne Bissaker (Killara), Jennifer
Corrigan (Killara), Linda Reiss (Monash)
and Nina Kiernan (Avondale) took the title
at Moss Vale by a point on plus 14 from
Wakehurst Golf Club’s Jennifer Webb, Jennifer

58

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

“He’s going really well, and really
responded to working outside. He’s a real
trooper putting in the effort, and is doing
well at TAFE,” Mr Skinner smiled.

Vernooy, Lorraine Sullivan and Tanya Hoyle.
At Mt Broughton, Ann Cameron, Anne
Strange, Jann Reid and Jenny Knapman
took the title by a shot with a solid score of
plus 11. The team of Gail Earle (The Coast),
Gwennyth Chance (The Coast), Karen White
(The Coast) and Wendy Hamer (Moss Vale)
grabbed the runners prize on a count back
More: www.golfnsw.org

Unsurprisingly though, it isn’t the first
time that Kareela have been nominated
for a Clubs NSW Community Award.
Their support of the nearby Bates Drive
Public School, a facility which caters for
children with mild to severe physical

and intellectual disabilities, has been
recognised before with them being named
as a finalist in a similar category back in
2014.
“We hold a charity golf day for them
every year. In the last six or seven years
we’ve raised over $100,000.”
“In order to win one of these awards,
simply raising cash isn’t enough. You
have to be more engaged with your
community,” Mr Skinner said.
Today, the members are proud of the
club’s active role in the local community
and how the sense of engagement
rewards them. Mr Skinner is keen to build
the relationship between the school and
his members even more.
“We’re looking at programs that put
together the young and old – like getting
some of our seniors together with kids
from the school by building some waisthigh garden beds for the kids to come
across and enjoy the sensory experience.
Then our seniors that love gardening could
come over and help the kids,” he added.
It’s all part of the plan to keep Kareela
Golf Club a key part of the local
community, as it is to be a healthy golf club
according to Mr Skinner.
“There’s lots of things we’d like to do, but
there’s not a lot of cash to throw around
either.”
“We’re kind of doing our best to remain a
community hub in our area. That’s all,” Mr
Skinner smiled.

Golf Queensland has named its
representative teams to compete in the
Australian Men’s and Women’s Interstate
Teams Matches from 9 – 13 May to be played
on home soil.
Queensland will host this year’s event with
the Men’s to be played at The Brisbane Golf
Club and the Women’s at Royal Queensland
Golf Club.
Queensland Head Coach, Tony Meyer said it
is a fantastic opportunity for the Queensland
teams to play in their home state,” Meyer said.
“They will have multiple opportunities to
play the courses before the event providing
them with an ideal preparation for the Series.”
This year’s team includes many new
members following a number of the senior
amateurs joining the professional ranks last
year.

“Whether it is the first or fourth time a
player has been recognised on the team, it is
an honour to represent your state,” he said.
“I get excited to travel away with these
players every year and I’m sure the teams will
enjoy the experience.”
Both the Queensland Men’s and Women’s
Teams will be hoping to improve on last
year’s second and third placing respectively.

MyGolf Camps go north
The MyGolf Junior Camps kicked off for
2016 over the Easter School Holidays with
three clubs hosting clinics. In conjunction
with the Far North Queensland, North
Queensland, and Central West Queensland
Golf Association, Golf Queensland ran MyGolf
Clinics at Mossman Golf Club (FNQ), Pioneer
Valley Golf Club (NQ) and Blackall Golf Club
(C/WEST).
The MyGolf camps targets kids’ aged from 5
to 12 years-old that are starting out on their
golfing journey and teaches them new golf
skills through game-based learning. A series
of PGA Golf Professionals including Lee and
Pete Harrington (Blackall), Anton Booy and
Daniel Gawley (Mossman), and Scott Simons
(Pioneer Valley and Mossman) were on
hand to teach the juniors golf skills in a fun
environment.
The professionals delivered a structured
two or three-day program consisting of
warm up games and activities, skills sessions
on full swing, chipping and putting, and
on-course play. Each day after completing a

Queensland
Foursomes
Champions decided

The Queensland Men’s and Women’s
Foursomes Championships was once again
strongly supported with a large field of nearly
170 competitors teeing off at Wynnum Golf
Club last month.
Scott Draper (Keperra) and Ashley Grosvenor
(Keperra) won the 2016 Queensland Men’s
Foursomes Championship by a commanding
three strokes with scores of 70-67 for a total
of 137.
The QAS squad pairing of Shae Wools-Cobb
(Maroochy River) and Charlie Dann (Pelican
Waters) closed out their afternoon round with
a 67 to join their morning score of 73 (total
140) to finish runners-up and three shots
behind the winners.
The Brisbane duo of Timothy Lukin and
Cameron Powell combined well to shoot the
day’s best round of 66 and take the first round
lead, but their afternoon score of 74 (total 140)
wasn’t enough to keep them on top, finishing
in third place on a count back.

couple of skills sessions, the juniors hit the
golf course to try out their new skills and play
a few holes.
“The clinics had outstanding success with
all juniors, coaches and parents enjoying the
camp,” Golf Queensland Development Officer
Scott Simons said.
“Over the three clinics we saw 62 juniors
either pick up a club for the first time, or

continue to develop their skills in the
game.”
“All the MyGolfers had a great time and
we look forward returning to the districts
to run more MyGolf Camps next year.”
The support of the local districts as well
as local sponsorship and the golf clubs was
instrumental to the success of the clinics
and to be commended.

The Women’s Foursomes was won by the
State Team pairing of Robyn Choi (Royal Pines)
and Kirsty Hodgkins (Redcliffe). Despite trailing
by two shots heading into the afternoon, the
pair’s consistency of rounds of 73-74 (Total
147) was enough to win by one shot.
It was the State Junior Girls pairing of Darcy
Habgood (Toowoomba) and Lisa Edgar
(Surfers Paradise) that set the hot pace in the
morning through a promising score of 71,
however this could not be maintained with
the pair signing for an afternoon round of 77
(Total 148) falling just short.
More: www.golfqueensland.org.au

A hole in
one...plastic
bottle
“The attached photo was the result of my
tee shot on the 18th hole at Surfers Paradise
Golf Club, witnessed by Surfers Paradise
President Phil Murphy. We heard a loud
bang when the ball landed just inside the
hazard line. Amazingly, my ball was inside
this plastic bottle, unplayable. Perfect entry
through the plastic material.”
Submitted by Simon Lewis

PHOTO
of the
Month
!
have a
Do you t you’d
t tha
top sho ith the golfing
hare w
at
like to s Email it to us
world? egolf.com.au
sid
ed@in

Your Voice

Have you got something to say? Then tell us! Write to us via
email at ed@insidegolf.com.au. Tell an interesting story or
something funny about golf and you could WIN a prize like this
month’s Ogio Cirrus golf bag (Retail value $349.95)!

We have on our course (as do a lot of
other member courses) “Adopt a hole”.
Very seldom do you see members care
for this hole. Have we lost golf etiquette
completely? Is there no way to educate
golfers about the fundamentals of course
care? I have played on some resort courses
that don’t even give you a sand bucket,

but have the green staff fill and repair
the fairways. Maybe this is the answer:
increase the cost of playing by a couple of
bucks, add a levy to the membership thus
allowing an extra greens staff; let’s call him
the Director of Divots. I suggested at my
course that we spend a month of playing
“tee up” (and we all know how much that
game is hated) as punishment for not
filling them in, but that went down almost
as well as my suggestion that the motherin-law stay in a nearby motel.
Maybe you or your readers may have
many different suggestions?
Terry Lawlor

Letters received by Inside Golf may be modified and edited for length and clarity. The
opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of
Inside Golf. (Except for the good ones – we really like those!)

60

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

Once again the issue of social golfers causing
damage to the course was mentioned (Your
Voice, March issue).
If it is the social players that cause all the
damage to a course, what explanation can be
given for the existence of fresh, unrepaired
divots, unraked bunkers and the like that
happen to appear during the running of
regular club competitions? It is about time
that club members look among themselves
to ensure proper course maintenance before
looking beyond their own cohort.
Phil Drever

March issue (Your Voice), in particular, those
relating to dress standards.
Living on a golf estate in Victoria, I also wonder
how club management permits thongs, singlet
tops and even bare-chested presentation on
their course. Apparently, the mighty dollar has
prevailed.
Another pet aversion is the lack of control
by dog owners who flaunt the club rules by
allowing free range unrestricted usage of the
fairways by their dogs.
Interested on-looker.

Same same... Small club,
but different? big heart

Isn’t it about time that golf clubs achieved a
level of consistency?
We now have a united across-the-board
consistency with the Slope System. Love or
hate it, from course to course, it works the
same. We know what we are going to get.
But how many times have you heard it: “What
colour flag means what, mate?” Red = Front,
Yellow = Middle, Blue =Back, or is that Red,
White & Black, OR is that White, Blue & Black
checked, OR Red is the front nine and white
is the back nine. Would it be so hard to have
some uniformity?
The game is hard enough, why not assist us
poor golfers—especially visiting ones—AND
speed this game up a little?
Then there are the tee markers; another
integral part of the great game of golf that
seems to be at the whim of the course super
and/or committee or marketing team. Recently
I have seen Red, White, Blue, Black and Gold.
This is one part of golf courses that should be
consistent and without question.
I won’t even mention sprinkler measurements
to front or middle. OH...just did!
Michael Krilich

DSR and Tee Boxes

The big fix
No matter how many times this subject
seems to rear its ugly head, not too
many people seem to take notice. How
frustrating is it to stand on the tee, hit a
beautiful drive to the fairway, walk up to
your ball and find it sitting in the bottom
of some inconsiderate player’s divot?

Golfer, heal Attire-ing debate
the partner of a retired golfer I would like
thyself Asto applaud
the comments of “Auspaul” in the

In response to Richard’s column on varying
starting tees for different levels of players
(Starters Box, Going beyond the Red, White
and Blue, March issue). I think this is a
great idea for more reasons than Richard
mentioned.
If different grades used the different tees
we would end up with different DSR for
each grade. Blue tees for A grade, white
tees for B grade and yellow tees for C grade.
Course set up could be adjusted from the
norm and as stated by Richard, thinking
outside the box and breaking old habits
to create something new can actually
progress the sport.
If I were a young C grader, for instance, the
motivation to move to the next colour tee
would be great. The older veteran golfer
who struggles to hit long distances would
again be competitive. I don’t think it would
work if you got to choose which tee to hit
from, I think handicap should determine
that. Ambrose would be fun, 4 ball events
more interesting and in single comps the
crazy scores from high handicappers won’t
affect low marker DSR.
Neil Maddison

I am a tragic golf nut and enjoy your
magazine each month. You tell a lot of great
stories but I would like to share this one
with you.
I’m originally from Woodenbong, NSW, on
the foot of the McPherson Ranges. I believe
the club started in the early 1900s. In its
heyday it had over 100 members from a
population of 400. The club still continues
today with nine greens and eighteen tees.
The membership is fifteen men and six
ladies. The club is run totally by voluntary
labour with the fairways and greens mowed
by two members and the bar by whoever is
available. The local population welcome all
visitors and have two major competitions
each year, which attract up to 120 entries
from Grafton to Brisbane.
My reason for forwarding this letter is
to show that the spirit of giving is still
quite strong, and it is a shame that larger
clubs have the attitude that “we pay
our memberships so we do not have to
contribute”.
Thank you for your monthly magazine
which is not only great, but free.
Barry Cooper, Dubbo NSW

“Live” in the past
Is there ever going to come a time when golf is
covered “LIVE” in this country? While watching
the painfully slow last round of the Ladies
Australian Open, I became aware by checking
my phone that the ABC coverage was at least
three holes delayed. I stopped watching after
discovering that, while the event was actually
over, on TV the leader was just on the 16th tee.
After watching the women I discovered
another of my pet hates – over 4 hours to play
a two-ball. They get all the distances from
just about anywhere on each hole during
their practice rounds. They are given a pin
placement sheet before hitting off each day.
They know just how far they can hit each club,
so why so long? It’s no wonder a lot of club
golfers seem to think that 4hrs 30min is a good
time for a round of golf.
Committees are always complaining about the
pace of play but it seems that they contribute
sometimes. At the club where I play they are
letting the rough grow so that they can “shape”
the fairways. The problem is we also have a lot
of leaves and it can be impossible to find the
ball when only just off the fairway. With some
members thinking they can take as long as they
like to look for the ball, play can be held up.
Michael Mead

don’t know about you, but as far as
Masters tournaments go, I reckon this year
was about as weird as it gets. And, I guess,
entertaining in a strange, twisted sort of way;
like if you enjoy watching The Bathurst 1000
in case some poor bloke flips his car over an
unsuspecting Roo... or you can’t stand the
thought of missing the latest beauty pageant
for fear of missing the host attempting to
apologise to an excited teenage model in
front of millions of TV viewers, just after he’s
realised he had whacked the crown on the
wrong noggin.
It began on the very first green when Ernie
Els forgot he wasn’t playing Stableford. I’ve
seen a lot of short putts missed in my day—
usually by me—but all on one green like
that? Never!
It wasn’t as if The Big Easy was having a bad
day and just wanted to get off the course…
he still had 71 holes to go. Well, 35 anyway.
You know you’ve had a lot of putts when you
have to rely on the nearest official to count
them up for you. The poor bloke clearly
has the yips and his magnificent career will
probably be cut short by that stupid decision
handed down by the Royal and Arrogant Golf
Club of St Andrews.
You remember the banning of ‘anchoring’

by anyone who is physically forced to use the
long putter, which these blokes decided was
in the “Best interest of the game”? I reckon
we should place all the officials responsible
in a tinny, float it out to the edge of Niagara
Falls and ask them what they think of their
“No Anchoring Rule” now.
I also struggled to watch Jason Day during
his first round get it to 5-under in pursuit of
his great rival Jordan Spieth, only to lose his
concentration and step over that finest of
lines that changes Augusta National from a
thing of absolute beauty to just plain bloody
nasty. A bit like when I arrived home from the
club a bit late and a fraction too happy one
night, to find my wife Sandra standing at the
door with an anniversary present. I always
manage to fight my way back, though, and it
was great to see Jason do the same over the
next two days.
Speaking of extreme adverse conditions,
what about Billy Horschel’s experience on
Saturday’s third round?
Horschel successfully negotiated the
water hazard on the par-5 15th hole with a
ripping long iron second shot, which trickled
just over the back left of the green in good
position to make a birdie. The resulting chip
finished a couple of metres past the hole
leaving himself a rare prospect at Augusta; a
straight uphill putt for a precious “bird”.
That was until it was his turn to putt and
he replaced his ball after marking it. He and
his loyal caddy were forced to watch as a

strong gust of wind began moving his ball
slowly towards the very same water hazard
he had defeated with a brilliant second shot
just minutes earlier. Sure enough, hovering
over it, coin in hand, waiting for it to stop,
he could only watch as it trickled all the way
back into the evil abyss. I’m not sure I’m in
a good position to question a rule of golf
in this particular column, but could this be
another one in need of review?... Just saying.
Finally, watching the world’s best golfing
advertisement, Jordan Spieth, going through
that hell on the 12th hole on Sunday, was
nothing short of excruciating. His tee shot
was nothing we haven’t seen before on this
scary little hole where the margin for error
is about as broad the smile on Sandra’s
face that fateful night. The only thing more
agonising was watching Spieth going
through the ritual of personally fitting the
green jacket over Danny Willett’s shoulders.
As always, Jordan was classy and respectful
but the look on his face wasn’t exactly one of
jubilation for his colleague’s victory.
There is talk of the damage Jordan Spieth’s
confidence will take as a result of this
collapse but I have no doubt he will use this
frustration and disappointment to make sure
it never happens again. On the other side, if
you’ve been watching Danny Willett’s career
graph in Europe, it’s no real surprise he is
now a Major champ.
As for poor old Ernie, I think he’d be the first
bloke I’d call on to round up those R&A dudes
and buy that tinny.

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62

May 2016 | www.insidegolf.com.au

!
N
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A

Golf
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The quick nine quiz
THERE are 21 stableford points up for
grabs on the front nine.
How many can you get?

with David Newbery
david@insidegolf.com.au
1. Name the tournament cut from Australia’s
golfing calendar in 2016. (1 pt)
2. Which of these players did Tiger Woods not beat
in a major playoff – Chris DiMarco, Bob May,
Rocco Mediate or David Duval? (3pts)
3. How many Australians played in the 2016 US
Masters at Augusta? (2 pts)
4. Can you solve the following anagram – Am surfs
carer. Clue: He’s Australian and won the
European Tour’s Maybank Championship
Malaysia recently. (2 pts)
5. A and B are playing C and D in a foursomes
match. A and C drive off at a hole at which B and
D should have driven. The error is then
discovered. What is the ruling? (3 pts)
6. True or false: Jason Day defeated South Africa’s
Louis Oosthuizen in the semi-final of the WGC
Dell Match Play. (1 pt)
7. Seven-time major winner Sam Snead once
told a US President to “stick your butt out,
Mr President”. Was it John F. Kennedy, Lyndon
Johnson, Dwight Eisenhower or Harry Truman?
(4 pts)
8. Which four-time major winner six-putted the
first hole in the first round of the US Masters? (2 pt)
9. What nationality is world number seven female
golfer Brooke M. Henderson? (3 pts)
ANSWERS: (1). Australian Masters; (2). David Duval;
(3). Five; (4). Marcus Fraser; (5). The side which drove
first loses the hole; (6). False. He beat Rory McIlroy
in the semi and Oosthuizen in the final; (7). Dwight
Eisenhower; (8). Ernie Els; (9). Canadian.

A Masters to remember (or forget!)

19th hole

Chips and Shanks
with David Newbery
david@insidegolf.com.au

Scott Laycock’s 1 to 7
TOURING professional Scott Laycock
scored a rare feat at the Queensland PGA
Championship at City Golf Club, Toowoomba.
During his third round of one-over par 72,
Laycock signed his scorecard that carried the
numbers 1 to 7.
For the record, he aced the par-3 15th hole.
He had a “2” on the eighth hole; a “3” on
holes 2, 4, 7 and 11; a “4” on holes 5, 9, 13, 14,
16 and 18; a “5” on holes 3, 6, 10 and 12; a “6”
on the 17th and a “7” on the first hole.
German David Klein won the tournament
when he edged out Queensland’s Tim Hart in
a playoff.

Hooray for wise old heads
ISN’T is refreshing to see there’s still hope
for “mature” golfers when it comes to winning
important amateur tournaments?
Normally, it’s teenagers who win
everything, but last month two players
in their 40s won the Queensland Men’s
Foursomes Championship at Wynnum Golf
Club.

Former tennis ace Scott Draper, 41, and
Ashley Grosvenor, who turned 40 on May 3,
carded rounds of 70-67 for a 137 total to win
the tournament.

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Feedback? Drop us a line at ed@insidegolf.com.au

Ace number 31 for Player
NINE-TIME major winner and seven-time
Australian Open champion Gary Player was
among the nine players to score a hole-inone during the Par-3 Contest in the lead-up
to the US Masters.
Player, who was grouped with Jack Nicklaus
and Tom Watson at Augusta, aced the
seventh hole to take his hole-in-one tally in
the event to four – the record.

ROOT PROBLEM: Peter Hines prepares to extricate his golf ball from this “unfilled divot”.
IN recent months, Sydney’s wild weather
caused plenty of damage and even paid
an unwelcome visit to Penrith Golf Club
knocking over large trees in its path.
Mind you, it didn’t stop Peter Hines from
enjoying a round of golf at his beloved club
despite having to negotiate his way around
the odd fallen tree.
When the PGA of Australia honorary life
member did hit a wayward shot, which
isn’t very often, near a fallen tree he didn’t
hesitate to play from what resembles a
gigantic divot.
Inside Golf hears he played a “treemendous” recovery shot.
For the record, the now retired Peter Hines
spent 12 years as boss of PGA (New South
Wales) before switching to tournament
management, which included setting up
state championships, opens and the PGA.

During his time with the PGA, Peter
developed friendships with many players
including the late Kel Nagle, Peter Senior,
Ian Baker-Finch, Wayne Grady, Peter Lonard,
Peter O’Malley and others.
Greg Norman, too, recognised his skills
and asked him to assist Monique Thompson
(Great White Shark Enterprises) to run
the Qantas VIP golf days in Sydney and
Melbourne.
In fact, the Shark penned a letter to Peter
congratulating him on his honorary life
membership presentation a few years ago.
“Congratulations on your retirement and
being inducted as an honorary life member
of the PGA of Australia,” Norman wrote.
“This is a distinguishing honour that is
reserved for those few individuals that have
spent a lifetime helping to promote and
grow the game of golf in Australia.”

27

29

1 Winner of the 2016 WGC Dell Match Play
(5,3)
5 This may be needed to correct a mistake
on a scorecard (6)
9 Letter-guessing word game (7)
10 Take a risk playing a long shot, perhaps
(2,3,2)
11 NZ winner of the 2013 Utah
Championship (5,5)
12 Above par (4)
13 Body of people in one land (6)
15 Relaxed (8)
18 Maybe not a greenkeeper but a green
thumb (8)
19 Stretch of land over which a tournament
is held (6)
22 Not under or over par (4)
23 Low round by Greg Norman at the 1996
US Masters (5-5)
26 Played a round quickly, say (7)
27 Strictly correct in amount or value (7)
28 Aussie winner of the 2015 Kingsmill
Championship on the LPGA tour, ______
Lee (6)
29 Slope (8)

DOWN

1 Winner of The Open in 2015, Zach
_______ (7)
2 Feeling for what is appropriate (5)
3 The top ranking in golf (6,3)
4 Historical records (6)
6 Opening (4)
7 Highest placed Aussie at the 2016 Perth
International, Jason _________ (9)
8 No longer playing professionally (7)
10 Doesn’t stop (4,2)
14 Club that may be used instead of a driver
(5,4)
16 Aussie winner of the 2016 True Thailand
Classic (5,4)
17 Not in the lead (6)
18 Great Australian amateur champion, Tony
_______ (7)
20 Iron, for example (7)
21 Lethargy (6)
24 Lift up (5)
25 The grip of a spinning golf ball (4)

RECORD field of more
than 30 golfers wearing
traditional outfits gave
the late PGA legend Dan
Cullen a fitting golf send-off
in the Australia Golf Heritage
Society’s annual event named
in his honour at Sydney’s Long
Reef Golf Club in March.
Cullen, who died on Australia
Day, aged 101, would have
been proud of the turnout and
standard of golf displayed in
the two-ball Ambrose event
by the colourful of hickoryshaft devotees, who included
his son Dan, a famous winner
of the prized trophy when
partnering his dad in 2005.

May 2-5
May 2
May 4
May 5
(QLD)
May 10
May 13
May 16-17
May 16
May 24
May 26-29
Darwin GC
May 26-27

The winners, cutting a dashing display with
both their plus-four outfits and their golf,
were a pair from The Lakes Golf Club; Tristan
Perrett and Dr Michael Sheret, who, with a
team handicap of 6.25 had a net 36.75 to win
by 0.75 of a shot.
Perrett, the current club champion at The
Lakes, plays off a scratch handicap and
Sheret, off 25. The pair played some amazing
golf, combining for three birdies with Perrett,
playing hickory golf for the first time, hitting
the ball amazing distances.
He reached both par fives, the 440m first
hole and the 430m ninth with a driver and

a “Cleek”(roughly a modern-day two-iron)
and constantly monstered the par fours. He
almost had a par round on his own.
If Perrett, a Vardon event winner last year,
tees it up in the Australian Hickory Shaft
Championship later this year he certainly
would be a top contender, based on his Long
Reef performance, which he said he enjoyed
“immensely”.
The runners-up suffered a handicap penalty
of playing as a three-ball but the trio of PGA
Life Member Tom Moore, Geoff Martin and
Warwick Stanwell played superbly to match
par.
Leading scores (11 holes par 43): 36.75
Tristan Perrett and Michael Sheret (6.25); 37.5
Tom Moore, Geoff Martin, Warren Stanwick
(5.5); 37.75 Tony Pickrell Martin Pickrell (7.25)
; 38.25 Steve Doorey, Ian Hamilton (8.75)

CALENDAR >
MALLACOOTA 2B TEAM CHALLENGE

When: Sat 21st & Sun 22nd May
Where: The Mallacoota Golf Club (East
Gippsland VIC)
Entry Fee: $50 pp
The Mallacoota Challenge is a 2Ball Aggregate
team event which features a modified points
scoring system (5 points for an Eagle, 4 points
for a Birdie, 3 points for a Par, 2 points for a
Bogie, and 1 point awarded for a Dbl Bogie).
The player’s total points for the round are
added to his official daily handicap, which is
then added to his partner’s points total to give
the pair their team aggregate points score for

JULY

the day’s round. (The Mallacoota course has a
slope rating of 120). A WOMEN’s event played
under the same format over the two days
is to be held in conjunction with the Men’s
tournament.
Complimentary on course refreshments
available for players to enjoy as well as the
traditional closing BBQ and many prizes to be
won.
Info: Carol Reinelt on 03 5158 0277 or Alf
Bowerman, on 0416 006 706 or atbow@
bigpond.com

Golf NSW Womens’ Pewter Plate

The Golf NSW Women’s Pewter Plate will
be held on Monday 18 July 2016 at Castle
Hill Country Club. It is an 18-hole aggregate
stableford competition for club teams of two
competitors on GA Handicaps from 29.1 to
45.4. Each Club entering the competition
64

Despite the task of playing
with wooden-shafted clubs
which all were more than 100-years-old, two
of the teams equalled the par score of 43 for
the 11 holes played, off the stick, and Dan
Cullen and his partner Mick Brooker, shot one
over.

MAY

COMING SENIOR
AMATEUR EVENTS

nominates two players as representatives
and The Pewter Plate is awarded to the team
with the best aggregate stableford of the two
scores.
Entries close on Friday 8 July 2016.
More: www.golfnsw.org.

Handiskins
When: Various

|

Where: Various

|

Info: www.handiskins.com.au

Handiskins the ultimate game of skins for club golfers. Handiskins is a five-qualifying-round
stableford competition. A player’s best three rounds count towards their final score. Players
don’t have to play all five qualifying rounds if their scores are good enough.
The top four players with the best scores at the end of the qualifying rounds go into the
‘skins’ format final and have the opportunity to play for $1,200 in club or pro shop vouchers.

Read Inside
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